Unfazed

“But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great distress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear] (2 Timothy 3:1, AMP). “But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed…There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation” (2 Timothy 3:14, MES).

It’s no secret that challenging times are upon us socially, politically, economically, and spiritually. During seasons like these it’s tempting to try to discover some new secret for getting through tough times. But the Apostle Paul warned his spiritual son Timothy that the key to overcoming the distress that would come in the last days is what he had already received from the Lord. He told him to continue in the things that he had learned. That was good advice then and it’s good advice now.

Jesus shared this powerful and life changing truth with some unsuspecting Jews (John 8). As a result of his preaching and teaching, the Bible says that “many put their faith in him” (v. 30). But Jesus made it clear very quickly that believing was not enough to experience the freedom that is available in the Lord. He taught them that they needed to go beyond belief to actually holding to or continuing in his teachings. This would be the key to being a disciple and the disciple is the one given revelation of the Word and that revelation is the key to our freedom. “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (v. 32). They quite naturally bristled at the assertion that descendants of Abraham were ever in bondage to anyone (even though one could probably hear the Roman occupation forces not too far away). Jesus told them that sin made them slaves but, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (v. 36). Jesus was and is offering the opportunity for those that believe, continue in the Word, walk as a disciple, receive revelation and act on it to be just as free as he is free!

The key, therefore, to not being fazed in this tumultuous day is to continue in the things we have learned. 2 Timothy 3:1 from the Message says, “But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed.” Just like the world, many believers will be unnecessarily fazed meaning “to cause to be disturbed or disconcerted,” not because the times are impossible to bear, but because they allow the circumstances and challenges to push them off the valuable Word they have learned, known, and walked in before the storm came. 2 Timothy 3:1 from the Amplified says that the times are “hard to deal with and hard to bear” but not impossible to deal with or bear.

In the midst of the hard times we can choose to be fazed or we can choose to continue in the things we have learned and that which has brought us this far. Jerry Savelle, one of the most balanced and clearest communicators of the lifestyle of faith I know, shared several principles for continuing unfazed in the midst of tough times. I hope they encourage your heart today.

1. Stay focused on what God says. During challenging times its easy to start paying more attention to the problem and the many voices of compromise. The difference between success and failure at a time like this is what you pay attention to the most. This is a time to zero in on the Word of God like never before.
2. Stay in faith. We need to continue actively applying our faith to the situation. Often and sometimes with little notice, we tend to back off from an active and aggressive stand on the Word as it pertains to our situation. We become passive believers and kind of just sit back to see what happens. Keep your faith fresh and your believing active by expecting God’s promise to manifest today.
3. Stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is willing to guide us even in the small details of our lives if we will listen. During tough times it becomes even more important that we are not pushed around by our emotions are pushed off the Word of God because of fear, disappointment, or frustration, but directed by the calming voice of the Spirit of God.
4. Stay aggressive in your sowing. We need to remember that the blessing is on the tither and the key to our harvest in our life is our giving. One of the first things to go when we are under the gun emotionally or financially is our giving, but we need to remember that when we stop giving we cut ourselves off from God’s supernatural power (Malachi 3) at a time when we need that power the most.
5. Stay consistent in your confession. There’s just something in all of us that compels us to just want to tell others how bad  things are going. We need to keep our mouths on the Word of God especially in adversity. We do well for a while and then another wave of setbacks or hardship comes our way and we stop talking the Word and start speaking the problem. Consistency is the key to victory in every spiritual battle. Make up your mind that you are going to speak the Word over your situation no matter what you feel, see, or hear.