CONFUSION

(by Lorie Codispoti)

“I’m so confused!”

In Christian circles, the typical response to that statement tends to be, “Well, God’s not the author of confusion.” (referencing 1Cor.14:33) Obviously that’s correct, but I have to say that for someone struggling with confusion all they hear is a canned, empty platitude. Unless they are a new believer, they already know the origin of their confusion, and the only thing this reminder does is shame them into silence and sever any potential ministry opportunity you may have with them.

Honestly, I’m confused about things all the time. Come on! We live in a broken, self-destructive world that is Hell-bent on recruiting companions to reside with them in their misery. The seeds of confusion are scattered over the landscape of our minds every single day. And while it’s important to remember where those seeds come from, it’s vital that we prevent them from germinating into full blown lies that people pick, bundle into a bouquet, and carry with them to their own funeral.

A man loses his business because he refused to cheat like his successful counterparts.

A family struggles to understand why their mother suddenly left without explanation.

A missionary family completes their training, is deployed, and then recalled because they lost their support.

Sickness and disease kill. The innocent are victimized. People walk away from their faith. Governments are corrupt. Heroes fall.

And the list goes on… and on… and on.

Can you sense the confusion?

Can you relate to the pain?

Many struggle to understand how the fertile soil of their lives can be so forcefully invaded, and why it feels like everything that was beginning to bloom is heartlessly bulldozed and mulched into unrecognizable bits. The view is bewildering. But, hear me when I say this: Confusion is not a sin; it’s the result of sin. It’s a consequence of living in a fallen world. I think we’d be hard-pressed to find a single biblical character who didn’t wrestle with confusion after the fall. Read any of the stories and you will find evidence of perplexed people - confused about their situation, their God, and His word. No one wants to be confused, yet here we are.

Why can’t we resolve the issues of the ever increasing age of confusion we live in? The short answer is that we’ve replaced HE with WE, and when the lens of our circumstance blurs we turn to ourselves rather than God for clarity.

We’ve made huge strides in medicine, yet people still die of sickness and disease. Meteorologists are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, yet severe weather still surprises and destroys lives. Educational opportunities abound, yet illiteracy remains an issue. In a world where safe havens, rehab centers, and counselors exist, homelessness, addictions, and mental illness are on the rise. Despite modern efforts to resolve our problems, they continue to grow like weeds in a garden.

Am I saying we should reject the gifts and trash all our resources? Of course not. I continue to research and employ the medical resources I have been given to improve my health, but if I invest my heart and soul in remediating my condition without consulting God first and foremost, I’ve opted for the poor man’s remedy.

So what’s the answer? How do we exchange confusion for clarity when our circumstances begin to blur life’s lens?

Confusion can take you to dark and sinful places, but it can also drive you to Christ and solidify your faith. I have found these three components of strategic prayer to be critically important when the author of confusion approaches.

POSTURE

“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” (Isa.66:2)

Coming before the throne of a holy God demands a posture of humility, and there are many Scripture passages we can draw from to assist with posturing our hearts rightly before Him.

Posture involves repentance. (It’s what “contrite” means.) I come before God in humility, but also with a heart of repentance. If confusion has caused me to question God’s love, doubt His goodness, and sown mistrust in my heart then I need to confess those things, repent and receive His forgiveness.

Do you "tremble at My word"? There's a trembling that involves fear, but there is also a kind of trembling that involves sheer awe. When I think about who God is and meditate on His amazing attributes, every part of my being positions itself to bow down and worship the great I Am. I tremble in awe of the One who invites me into His holy presence.

PRESENCE

“I am with you always.” (Mtt.28:20) “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb.13:5b) “… I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” (Psa.23:4)

In order to express how vital this component has become to my prayer life, I must first confess that there have been times where I could not feel God’s presence, at all. When the pain would escalate to such a degree of physical and spiritual delerium I would cry, “GOD, WHERE ARE YOU? I can’t find you!” It felt like God had completely abandoned me. For the first time, I could relate to Paul when he said, “for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.” (2Cor.1:8b) I wanted to die. I had full confidence that I’d be in His presence if I died, but none that He was with me in my greatest hour of suffering. What’s wrong with that confused thinking? Well, for starters it’s a lie!

As I walked through those dark places of confusion, Scriptures (like those above) would automatically rise up within me and play over and over in my mind. I had no strength to pick up my Bible and look for them. It was God’s Spirit within me that brought them to mind and continually pushed the replay button. John and I would also sing Scripture songs - some we hadn’t heard or sung since we were new believers, yet we had total recall. I would also think about the lives of those I’ve known and read about, and how they testified of God’s presence in their darkest days. Each reminder was like an infusion of reassuring faith. Practicing His presence when you feel nothing is an exercise of faith - a belief in His promised, abiding presence.

To KNOW that God was with me went beyond feelings, which can ebb and flow with the varying degrees of pain. His presence tethered me to my Savior in a deeper way than I’ve ever known. When I had absolutely no strength to hold on to Him, He held on to me with an unshakeable grip.

POWER

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)

God’s presence leads to His enabling power. If there’s one thing that walking through this health trial has taught me, it’s that I am much weaker and more dependent than I ever imagined. As a result, I have a much clearer understanding of my need for the Holy Spirit’s active work in my life.

Take the time to read what the word tells us about the Holy Spirit's all encompassing role as Comforter/Helper, Counselor, Guide and Intercessor (Jn.4:24, 14:26; Romans 8:14; John 14:26; Romans 8:26), how He gifts us for service (Rms.12:6-8, 1Cor.12:1-11), and His fruit production (Gal.5:22-23) in our lives. God’s Spirit is not an impersonal force. Jesus told His disciples that His Spirit would be an indwelling force. That's personal!

Sin blurred our world, and without the Helper to refocus our lens we will never see things clearly.

Two things to remember about God sending His Spirit and empowering His disciples: 1) He came when they were confused, and that confusion compelled them to gather and pray. Prayer activates His power. Confusion should trigger an immediate prayer response … “God, I don’t know what to do; send Help.” 2) We don’t own His power; it owns us. When we cry out for help, God gets to decide how and when to display His work in us. Remember the reason Jesus stated for giving us His power - so that we would be His witnesses (not the other way around). I can be assured (and reminded) that when I call for help, God will answer with power, but He’s the one Who determines what that will look like in order for my life to testify to Him.

This is more freeing than I have words or space to express, but the thing I love about His indwelling power is that I can cry for “help” and God knows exactly what to do, and what He does is exactly what I need. It may come in the form of remembering His word. It might be with the strength to endure, or the ability to recognize His goodness amidst great times of suffering, but it will always come. And when it does it always testifies of the One who sent it.

The next time you’re tempted to respond to someone’s state of confusion by quoting 1Corinthians 14:33 (“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”), remember that Paul’s emphasis was not on the author of confusion, but on the God of peace. It might be necessary for you to clarify the origin, but make sure you help them refocus their lens by showing them how to cry out for help. It’s the only way to walk in His peace and testify of His goodness in this age of confusion.