“And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm,” Mark 4:39.

In today’s “early warning” weather environment, you feel like you’ve been in a storm even if one doesn’t come.

There is great, life saving value through being ready. However, when this climate of reporting goes beyond giving a ‘heads up’, it creates an anxious, panicky atmosphere of fear. If that type of reporting becomes the norm, one of two things usually happens. Either you become paranoid or display indifferent complacency. Both are equally damaging.

The same can happen in ministry. No one can deny the stormy ungodliness of today’s culture. We need a ‘heads up’. The Scripture tells us to rightly discern the ‘signs’ (Matthew 16:2,3). Without a doubt there is great, life saving value through being ready. However, as ministry leaders, we don’t need to live in an atmosphere of fear.

Remember the disciples turbulent boat ride with Jesus? It was a real wave-crashing, wind-banging, violent storm. Dangerous? Yes! Was it a reason to be panic driven? According to Jesus’ words, “No.” Was it time for a ‘heads up’? Yes, by faith look up to Jesus!

Got a storm brewing on the horizon of your life or ministry? Well, most everyone does. Maybe you are already in its throws. The culture has a devilish churning inside and outside the church. The winds of falseness are at hurricane force. The waves of trouble keep rolling, at times crashing, upon us.

Paranoia and indifference do not need to be our standard responses. In Christ, we can lead our people to look to Jesus. We can confidently say, “Fear not, neither be dismayed (indifferent).”

He’s the calm in the eye of all the storms of life. Look to Jesus.