Keep Calm And Carry On

It's hard to traverse life, unless we visualize a Sovereign God larger than our pain, bigger than our challenge.

But a lot of us choose not to visualize such a God.   I mean we choose to just wallow in our pain – or just to sink into despair.   Eventually we become in the words of Psalm 73 – “…far from [God]… [and perishing]…”  (Psalm 73:27).  

But we have the option of drawing close to God -- and living!  And so I invite you to declare with the psalmist:  “But as for me, it is good to be near God; I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge…”  (Psalm 73:28).

Frankly I don’t believe we emphasize the sovereignty of God enough.  But it’s critical to our recovery from the pain and stretch of life.  For until I ‘let go’ and affirm that ultimately God is Sovereign and not me – that ultimately God is in control and not me – I will be consumed by despair and anxiety.  For to affirm that God is Sovereign is to affirm, in the words of Tony Evans, that “…there's no such thing as luck. Anything that happens to you, good or bad, must pass through His fingers first. There are no accidents with God…”   

Now that doesn’t mean God prompted the loss, difficulty or calamity.  But it does mean God allowed your calamity for some holy, divine, providential purpose.  For from God’s perspective there’s always: a purpose in every pain – a learning from every suffering -- a discovery from every dilemma.

And so trust that God is not just ‘rolling dice’ with your life – but using your life – all of your life -- even the mess of your life – to create a masterpiece. 

And so everything really is going to be OK, for God really is, in the words Romans 8:28 – “…in all things… [working] for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose…”  (Romans 8:28).

During World War II as Germany threatened England, the British government commissioned a series of posters featuring striking motivational slogans.  The posters were hard to miss, featuring large capital letters in a distinctive typeface and a simple two-color format; the only graphic was the crown of King George VI.   

The first poster was distributed in September of 1939.  It read:  Your Courage – Your Cheerfulness – Your Resolution – Will Bring – Us Victory.  Soon thereafter, a second poster was produced.  It read:  Freedom Is – In Peril – Defend It – With All – Your Might.   Both posters were immensely popular appearing up and down the British countryside in restaurants, stores, pubs and on railway platforms.  

But unknown to most, a third poster was also created, but never distributed.  In fact 2.5 million copies of a third poster were created and printed but never unboxed and passed out.  And for good reason:  this third poster had a special purpose:  to address an extreme crisis such as an out and out invasion of England by Germany.  Well such a crisis never occurred – and so eventually the boxed posters were stored and eventually misplaced.  But years later a bookstore owner in Northern England discovered one of the posters in a box of old books purchased at auction. And with that – the bookstore owner framed it – and placed it in a prominent place in his store.  Instantaneously the third poster became a smashing hit – and so the bookstore owner mass produced it as a postcard – a coffee mug – and yes, as a poster – selling thousands.   For the third poster had a slogan that really fit the times -- in fact it fits any time.  The slogan?  Keep Calm And Carry On.  [Max Lucado. You’ll Get Through This.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson, 2013, pp.148-149)

Keep Calm And Carry On! In spite of your calamity:  Keep Calm And Carry On!  Because God is Supreme And Sovereign!  Because Jesus Saves.  Because the Holy Spirit is All Power-full. Because The Creator Of The Universe is “…in all things… [working] for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose…”  (Romans 8:28).  

Thus, everything is going to be OK!