Seeing the Big Picture In The New Year

These last few years have been very challenging for many. Things have been changing at an increasing velocity and frequency. No one is sure if these changes in so many areas of life are for the better or worse.

Have you heard the quip by Will Rogers about the older grandfather-type guy driving with passengers in his car? It goes like this. 'When I die, I want to die like my grandfather, who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.'

Many would say they feel like a passenger in the back seat of a car, and someone they don't know or trust is driving them to places they are not sure they even want to go. The driver seems lost, too. Worse yet, these passengers are in the back seat and can't reach the steering wheel to turn things around. The driver seems to have moral and ethical issues, economic death wishes, and an affinity for cliffhanging. These drivers seem large and in charge, while their passengers feel smaller and smaller by the hour. 

Have I got your attention? Maybe I can make the ride a little easier for you. 

First, realize that God is in control no matter what it feels or looks like. Yes, there are the smaller day-to-day or year-to-year pictures like who is elected, who are the mind molders of society, and the direction society is going. But, in the end, the narrative is God's, and God determines the big picture alone. And remember, God's not bad - God is good. 

Don't lose your peace over the small picture. Look back on history. Look at history. People, institutions, philosophies, and countries that were once large and in charge now lie in ruins or just a shadow of what they once were. That's what happens when a government, a sphere of influence, or a 'control-driven king' wants to take God's place. Leaders who don’t listen to God and wise people will eventually be surrounded by people with nothing to say. Discernment is not necessarily a matter of telling the difference between right and wrong; instead, it is telling the difference between right and almost right.

The Scripture says in Proverbs 21:1: "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wants." The Message translation says it this way. "Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; God directs it to whatever ends he chooses." Many ego-driven or power-hungry leaders have thought they were large and in charge of the narrative (driving the car) when God was doing what God always does: drive the car. One can't make God into one's own image for very long. It's not sustainable. History is “His story.” 

Any leader, educator, philosopher, media darling, newscaster, president, or person like you and I would benefit from what Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon's king, learned long ago. The prophet Daniel gives us perspective. "The Highest God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar. And because of God's grandeur on him, all the peoples, nations, and men of every language feared and trembled before him. But when His heart was lifted up, and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne. His glory was taken away from him until he recognized that the Highest God is ruler over the realm of humanity and that God sets over it whomever He wishes." 

Let me paraphrase. God let the king drive the car until he intentionally and defiantly abused it. When the king or queen intentionally and defiantly abused the power God gave them, God's power was eventually taken away from them. Why? Because “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

So, don’t get all steamed up when you don’t know what’s cooking. Realize that God has things under control. The big picture is in God's hands. God is driving the car. God is not lost. That doesn't mean we don't get involved in current or political issues or do nothing about issues. Do what you can do and leave the results to God. You folks waiting and sitting on the sidelines with biblical core values who have the passion to get involved in a culture gone sideways, could it be your passion is waiting for your courage to catch up? So, always do your utmost for God’s highest and trust God. Don't lean on your own understanding, or you will be emotional toast. 

Two things define you - your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything. Don’t lose your joy. Forced joy is better than genuine depression. And remember, sometimes life doesn't seem fair. If life was fair, Elvis would be alive, and all the impersonators would be dead. 

In the meantime, have courage. And don't let your love grow cold. Be a lover of God and humankind. 

Here's an acronym for lover that will serve you well in these times. L – Love what you do; E – Excel in competency; A – Act with integrity; D – Demonstrate accountability; E – Empower others wisely; R - Respond humbly. 

Faster your seat belts; 2024 is going to be quite a ride unless you see the big picture.