Veronica Y. Brayboy is part of our City of Refuge Fellowship family and each month she will be sharing her heart on our website blog. Below is her blog post titled “Where does your help come from?”
“I just don’t know how we are going to survive?”, “This country is going to be destroyed now!”
“My children are having nightmares because they are so afraid of what’s going to happen!”
These are just a few of the mass hysteria questions and comments that saturated social media last November and on through the winter. It affected me so badly that I had to take a hiatus from Facebook in January, just to minimize all the hysterical and yes nasty comments and memes that were being posted.
The TV and radio news were the same, so that went off too. Call me a wimp, but to be honest it grieved my soul so much until it affected my health. Heart palpitations, stomach upset, and anxiety, not because I was worried about the future of this country, but because of the arguing, bickering and just plain awful attitude that some people began to exude. Since this affected me so negatively, I wondered and worried what kind of impression this would have on the people of this country and the world, those who may not follow Christ or even believe in God.
Since we are a country supposedly built on the foundations of our beliefs in God, even have “In God We Trust” printed and stamped on our currency…what was and is all the hysteria about? What is that saying to a world that so desperately are seeking answers; if we that call ourselves Believers are exemplifying the same hysteria as they may feel?
It seemed that all the degrading and insulting comments made was to prove that the election HAD to come out in their favor…or else. Even among Believers there were some of the most awful things said to each other because they “believed” that their candidate (both sides) was the right one, THEE ONE that would bring about Hope for this country…honestly, there is something quite scary about that premise, but that’s for another post.
Friendships were lost over this past election, but to me the worst was the example that was set and forever engraved in the minds of the very people that we as Believers claim to want to lead to Christ. If Christ is Peace, Hope, Joy and Salvation to us, then what happened to it during the election? Did God suddenly renege on His Promises in His Word? Because what I saw was anger, arguing and gnashing of teeth (never knew what that meant but when I read it in the Bible, it sounds like a good description of what was going on. Luke 13:28) lol
It was a real eye opener for me, and it really showed the true colors of folks for sure. See I KNOW I’m not perfect, but this I do know, our help is in the Lord. Our help is not in a man. God uses men to bring about His purpose, but our Hope should not be in them. Our help is in the Lord.
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help co me s from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.” Psalms 121: 1-2
You can bet your bottom dollar that God is interested in every tiny detail of our lives, so there is no need to panic. He sees the small and the big. He sees all the plans of nations that want to do us harm, and He also sees the anxiety and concerns we have for ourselves and our children. He does not miss anything and He’s got it. He wants us to trust Him and not put our trust in men.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
We as humans will have times of fear, but our confidence should be in the Lord and the only way to have that is to surrender those things which bind us and give them to Him.
Recently talking with a friend who lost a parent and they shared that there was a moment that the thoughts of now being an orphan (in a way) came to mind, that even as an adult, the feeling briefly came; then I added that in losing a spouse, there are moments of feeling uncovered, unprotected. BUT we both agreed that though the feelings may come, our Hope is in the Lord! HE is our Father, HE is our covering and protection, Glory to His Name!
The most courageous thing that we can do is to be a light for Christ in this world. It is not about arguing and even defending what we believe is right, but it is in standing for WHO is right…the Righteous One. Jesus is the example that we should follow, He did not come with anger and insults, He came with TRUTH. He is Holy and He showed kindness and mercy.
Have I made the mark…nope and I believe that God will continually be working on me until my time here is done (Philippians 1:6). But that’s just it, I have to surrender each day so that He CAN do the work. It ain’t always easy, but I want to obey and please Him.
If we say that we are Believers in Christ, then it is not just mere words, but it is our actions. This world is crying out for Truth and those of us that have it, must be the lights to show the Way to the One and the only One that has the answers.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
-Veronica Y. Brayboy
June 2017