In the Storm.

Hurricane Irma is quickly approaching. Our state of Florida has been listed in a State of Emergency. Half of Citrus County has been evacuated. The danger is real.

How does one respond in the midst of a storm? Hopefully one responds with wisdom, responsibility, and strength. One doesn’t have to live in Florida or in Texas to encounter tremendous storms of large magnitude and I’m not limiting that idea to physical storms. I’m talking as well about emotional, financial, mental, and other areas as well that we all go through on a regular basis just as human beings going through life here on planet Earth.

I’ve been reflecting on the definitions of these three terms - wisdom, responsibility, and strength - and their importance in the midst of a challenging time.

• Wisdom - the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.
• Responsibility - the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.
• Strength - the quality or state of being strong, in particular.

We need to be wise in the midst of the situation at hand, willing to listen to the information of those wiser than us. This is essential not just in the storm but also in the calm. Through being humble and open to listen, we exercise true wisdom. We exercise responsibility by heeding the necessary advice we’ve been given and we stay strong through the process by standing on our foundation which is on the rock, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I think of the disciples and their actions in the midst of tremendous storm in Mark 4. They had seen the Lord do all sorts of incredible feats and here they were, acting out of fear and intimidation. Jesus has compassion for His disciples, just like He has for you and I.

He calms the storm and says in verse 40: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples are absolutely blown away and they say to each other in verse 41: “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

As men and women of faith, we prioritize wisdom in the midst of the storm. We recognize our roles and act out of responsibility for the ones that we are responsible for. We minimize fear and hold to the Lord for strength and stability in the trial at hand.

We stand with wisdom. We stand with responsibility. We stand with strength.