Shaken Not Disturbed
By Elin Henderson
“He
only is my rock, and my salvation; my fortress, I shall NOT be greatly shaken.”
To coin a phrase from our good
friend in Her Majesty’s Secret Service*, sometimes life feels a little “shaken and stirred”
up. While Dr. No and Goldfinger may not be our greatest foes, we aren’t lacking
for enemies in this world. These powers that be (without and within) can leave
us feeling shaken to the core and stir up plenty of fear and anxiety in our
souls.
Paul knew a little about being
shaken and stirred. In 2 Corinthians 11:22-28, we see a few of the shakings he
went through…beaten, lost at sea, stoned, left as dead, rejected. Yet, he
remained firm, not disturbed, in spite of trying circumstances and
people.
Yes, life shakes us up sometimes. It
might be a sudden diagnosis at the doctor’s office, the loss of a loved one, a
pink slip from the boss, a betrayal by someone you cared for deeply. Whether
the shaking is physical, emotional or spiritual, it can leave us reeling.
Paul shares with us a few of his
spiritual secrets for remaining shaken but not disturbed in 2 Corinthians
4:7-12. When life is tossing us around, stirring us up, shaking us to the core,
we have a ROCK, a steady, undisturbed peace that we can run to. His presence at
our right hand is working life out through us and promises peace and stability in
the midst of the shaking storm.
Paul also knew that sometimes the
shaking and stirring is meant to prepare us to be poured out for another. In
Philippians 2:17, Paul reminds the Philippian believers that, yes, he has been
shaken and stirred, but all for a purpose: to be poured out for their sakes.
So whether you are being shaken in
order to grow you in your faith and stability in Christ, or for the sake of
being poured out for another, we have a hope that allows us to endure
un-disturbed.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Can you think of any other individuals
in the Bible who were shaken but not disturbed? (David, Elijah…)
2. What were their spiritual “secrets”?
FURTHER READING:
*James Bond!
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin
Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters
with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to fifteen-year-old
Callie and thirteen-year-old Elias.
