Losing It!

Today’s blog might make you mad, laugh, or cry.  I’m diving into the deep end of the pool, and I hope you can swim.  When was the last time you “lost it?”  You blew your top and you didn’t stop and everyone just scattered.  Then no one wanted to get near you—including you.  Trust got shattered, you’re full of self-contempt, and God is all you’ve got. 

Here’s the Good News.  When God is all you’ve got, you’ve got all you need!  God’s very nature is to love, to forgive, and to be merciful.  His arms, waiting to heal and restore, are open to angry gasket-blowers.  Our loved ones might seem like they’re walking on eggshells.  Your best bet is to confess your sin, ask for their forgiveness, order in their favorite DoorDash delivered food, and develop some boundaries with your emotions so that you don’t hurt the people that you love when you get stressed out.  More than likely, you need to build a prayer altar somewhere in your home so that you can slip away to digest God’s Word and pray before you interact with your loved ones.  They deserve your best—not your worst.

Losing it comes in many different forms.  My sincere appreciation and deepest respect go to all of my friends and loved ones who are caring for loved ones who have lost their health, their memory, their mindfulness, their self-control, their reality testing, their faithfulness, or their faith.  No words can adequately describe the pain and frustration that caregivers experience day in and day out as they deal with loved ones who are losing it.  Many times, the problems we’re encountering is no one’s fault.  We’re all born with sinful natures, and we experience the curse of the fall in ways that we’d rather not.  But when loved ones slap us with their looks, their words, or their hands, no one knows how much it hurts except for the One who was crushed and bruised and crucified for our healing and freedom.

As we move into one of the most challenging weeks in the history of our nation, people seem to be losing it all over our country.  People in divergent leadership groups have lost all respect for one another and are treating one another with no dignity whatsoever.  People are destroying cities and one another because they’re hurting and hating and acting out of pure disregard for human life.  Thousands of babies aren’t even being born because they’re seen as an inconvenience instead of a masterpiece.  Truth is being exchanged for lies, and we’re worshipping the creations of technology as media has become lord.

I wonder how God feels as He looks down upon all that He’s made.  I wonder how you’re feeling as our world seems to be imploding.  When lying and losing it become the norm, it makes you want to fight, scream, run, or hide.  But does it make you run to God in prayer?  Is your reflex to become angry and bitter, or do you turn to our Sovereign Lord, asking Him to show mercy and supernaturally intervene to make something good of all of the messes that we’ve created.  The Lord of all who reigns over all rulers and powers and authorities is waiting for you to call upon His Name. 

I know that you might get tired of people losing it around you.  I know I get tired of losing it.  Most days I lose my keys, my glasses, my hat, my Bible, my focus, my perspective, and many important details.  Way too many days, I get focused on the wrong things, and I lose touch with the right things.  I forget what I’m supposed to be doing, or I forgot that I did what I just did.  I build cases in my head against people that I’m called to love.  And I forget what’s most important:  to love one another deeply from the heart. 

If you feel like you’re losing it and if you’re surrounded by people who are losing it—you’re not alone.  The Lord has a special place in His heart for the brokenhearted.  He’s uniquely positioned Himself above, within, and around you to provide help when you need it most.  He’s surrounded you with people who imperfectly represent Him and express His love in tangible ways.  Don’t quit or “lose it” when you feel like you can’t take it anymore.  Take a break and slip away like Jesus did.  He’ll refresh your mind and your body and your soul, and He’ll give you what you need most:  His love that endures everything. 

As Don Moen’s song rings in my ears, I pray that you’ll be encouraged by these words.  Think about His love.  Think about His goodness.  Think about His grace that brought you through.  For as high as the heavens above, so great is the measure of our Father’s love.  Great is the measure of our Father’s love.