Wrestling with Dismay
Our social media feeds are full of pictures of empty grocery store shelves and stories of illness. Our ears are full of conversations about the unknown and our tongues perpetuate the uncertainties that exist every day. Our minds are full of concern about hungry mouths to feed and paychecks that may not hit the bank.
It’s real. It’s all very real and it’s staring us straight in the face.
Fear is staring us in the eyes and waiting on our move. What will we do with fear? Self-preservation is whispering in our ears and anticipating our reaction. What will we do? Anxiety over uncertainty is lingering around every corner and longing to take root in the nooks and crannies of our being. How will we approach it and what will we say?
For us to pretend as though we or others are immune to these emotions is simply naive. Rather, we must acknowledge that these emotions exist and decide how we will use them to further the gospel and our personal intimacy with Jesus.
During uncertain times, the global church has a very real and specific role to play. It is a chance for us to shine bright and sure amidst chaos and turmoil. It is a chance for us to be real instead of self-righteous. It is a chance to embrace our humility instead of digging our heels into pride.
The dismay we now find ourselves in is intended for a purpose. Those of us who seize the opportunity to wrestle with the dismay will arise with a closer and more intimate relationship with the Lord.
Dismay is defined as “consternation (anxiety) and distress, typically caused by something unexpected.” Dismay is real and it is present in all of our lives. No one is void of this emotion and the perplexities that accompany it. Dismay is rooted in uncertainty but when watered with the Word of the Lord and a steadfast communion with Him it CAN grow into something that bears good fruit in our lives.
Even David, a man after God’s own heart, said “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3). He did not say IF, he said WHEN. We are bound to feel an array of emotions but the real question lies in what we choose to do with what we feel. We are bound to feel afraid and we can choose to leverage that fear into a greater trust of the Lord.
To simply tell someone, “Don’t be afraid.” is largely insufficient with a slight hint of condemnation; for none of us are beyond fear. We all face it and we each must decide not to dance with it or become its best friend. Instead, we must learn how to use fear as an agent of change that propels us into a greater level of trust with our most trusted companion, our Jesus.
As disciples, who are accustomed to walking with Jesus, we can believe that we know Him completely and even imagine that we know what He might be doing in the world. However, when dismay comes, through the sting of the unexpected, we might find ourselves wondering more often “God, what are you doing? Why are these things happening? What is going on?” We find ourselves in a state of wondering which could be based on the realization that we don’t know Him as well as we previously imagined we did.
This truth is not intended to hurt our feelings but to level our pride and create a sense of humility.
It is essential that we understand that the finite limitations of our minds can never fully comprehend or conceive the vastness of our God.
Therefore, there will always be components of Him that we do not fully understand. There will be circumstances that are allowed to unfold that we cannot explain or even fathom their existence. Thus, the feeling of dismay.
This is when we as the church, as disciples of Jesus, must begin to wrestle. We must wrestle with dismay, not to defeat it, but to learn from it. We must allow the feeling of dismay to lead us into greater understanding of who Jesus is (through His word) and thus into a greater communion with His spirit, His presence, and His power.
As we witness Him walking into territories that seem unfamiliar and confusing, we must choose to acknowledge the existence of our fear right before we hand it over and say to the lover of our souls… “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3)
Then we walk right behind him into the uncertainties of the day knowing that He alone possesses the courage that we need to overcome the dismay that has ultimately lead us closer to Him.
© Dani Hardy
March 19, 2020
Wrestling with Dismay