Becoming: Living in the Process of God's Making - Part 4 "A Cry to Settle"

            During times of seeking God’s will Susan and I did not always agree on how much we should tell our children. I thought we should tell them everything, but she disagreed because she did not want them to live with the same sense of unsettledness as we did. Much of my children’s teen years were like this, and I probably could have done better provided stability for them.

            Most people cry out for a sense of settling down. Getting married and having a family is seen by many as “settling down”. Those with toddlers may argue with that definition. It is very much the opposite is it not? Truth be known we are individuals seeking to settle in an unsettled society. Not much about our world is settled. Observe the following descriptions.

            A settled society is defined as “traditions and common sense”. A controlled society refines and reinforces skills and habits while relying on the tried-and-true strategies of action.  An unsettled society is defined as one where ideas not habits are the “motor-force of life”.  Leaders create new strategies for action. Long-term influence depends on survival of competing ideologies. The later seems to the reality in which we live.

            In our longing to be settled, we tend to think of the Bible presenting a settled society, but it is the very opposite. All of history has been filled with unsettledness yet our human nature cries out to be settled. Part of living in the process of God’s making is learning to be settled in unsettledness until the restoration of all things through Christ. Therefore, let us consider this idea. Living in process often leaves us unsettled among family, friends, and strangers.

            A look into how David and Jonathan navigated a strong unsettling can be found in 1 Samuel chapters 19-21. When things seemed to settle, they became unsettled as before we need (1 Samuel 19) To needs displayed in this chapter are the love of a true friend and the power of God’s protection. Chapter 20 seems to reveal the idea that unsettled families call for settled friendship. Here the friendship of David and Jonathon was healthier that Jonathan’s relationship with his own father King Saul. Finally, chapter 21 reveals the necessity of navigating through the fears of other.

            With all that can be unsettled, who we trust becomes evident by who we worship. What Notice the harsh words spoken to King Hezekiah in Isaiah 36:4-7. He was being spoken to by the king of Assyria who basically stated that Hezekiah did not trust in the LORD because he did not worship in public. It is important to know that those who reject God see the hypocrisy of us who claim to trust God yet fail to worship Him as LORD in public. Here a church family finds a strong reminder. If we claim to trust God, we ought to worship is LORD.

            This worship will build a community that can be trusted. Two components of this are unity in prayer and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1-2). With this infilling comes the fruit of the Holy Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-26. May Yucaipa Valley Church of the Nazarene be a place of trust during an unsettled world.