Day 14 – The Exchange: 21 Days of Spiritual Swaps

I am an emotional person. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I feel things before I understand things.

This is a strength. But, it’s also a weakness.

Yesterday, I felt like a thousand things were coming at me. Situations, questions, problems, blessings – the lot! And I felt a storm of emotions rise up inside of me.

I said to my husband: “What should I do about all of these things? I’ve prayed, but I still feel bombarded by emotion!”

He replied with wisdom: “Don’t do anything.”

Sometimes feelings can cause us to act in panic. They cause us to flip out prematurely or hurt someone, without thinking.

Take a look at the bible story in which Jesus calms the storm:

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4: 37-41, NIV.

Here, the disciples think that Jesus should have got up and acted sooner. Yet, Jesus calms the storm in His perfect timing and questions their faith.

This story absolutely speaks to me about emotions. I panic, just like the disciples. I feel a storm and I get angry, acting out as if Jesus doesn’t care about me. Acting as if I need to fix the mess in front of me.

But, not today.

Today I choose to practice quiet faith, in the eye of my stormy emotions.

Instead of acting frantic, I have decided to swap my feelings for faith.

Quiet faith that says the storm will die down eventually.

Quiet faith that says it is not as bad as it looks.

Quiet faith that whispers: “He will be right on time.”

I don’t know about you, but I regularly think that Jesus is late! Honestly, I could write you a list of tasks that I believe He should have completed by now!

Yet, when I stop and read above story in Mark’s gospel, I realise that my understanding of time doesn’t compare to His.

I remember that I can have quiet faith today, in the midst of my troubled emotions.

You can too.

If you are feeling angry or sad or frustrated today, please give yourself an extra spoonful of grace! Don’t rush into anything. Don’t do what you think you should do.

Instead, surrender your feelings and grab hold of a quiet faith that says anything is possible for God, in His perfect timing.

Action Points

• Write a list of things you think you should do and tear it up!
• If you feel like you are rushing, take a five-minute pause. Just stop what you are doing, go to the bathroom if you need to! Just hit pause and say out loud: “even the wind and waves obey Him!”