Order from Disorder

"God is not the author of confusion"
1 Corinthians 14:33


I hate chaos.  I mean, I guess everyone does.  It's so.... chaotic.    But there are people who thrive on situations like that.  Exciting, high-pressure, action...  So if those people exist, then it's proof that people like me exist.  People for whom chaos is more disturbing than it is for the average person.  "Chaos," after all, means "disorder and confusion", so that can certainly be in the eye of the beholder.


I recently had a very chaotic day.  I spent six hours in a place of, for me, disorder and confusion.  I say "for me" because I'm know there were those there who thought everything was fine.  We were at my Awesome Girl's volleyball tournament.  At any given time, there were up to eight games going on in this cavernous building.  Whistles blowing; balls flying; girls yelling "mine!"; coaches hollering instructions; parents alternately yelling instructions and encouragements; grand-parents mumbling about how "they don't play the game like we used to"; siblings playing; and, of course, general chit-chat.  This, for me, is a recipe for anxiety.  Now, later in the day, I attended my Amazing Boy's baseball game, which had a lot in common with the volleyball, being an exciting, parent-attended sport, but it was far less anxiety-producing.  Only one game to watch; pauses of quiet in-between the action; and it was outdoors.  That meant it was less climate-controlled, but also that ambient noise could drift off to the heavens, instead of ricocheting off the walls and ceiling.


I think what's missing, when one experiences chaos, is focus.  When we're thinking about too much, then we're not giving the best of our mind to any one thing.  I thought a lot, during my chaotic day, about how God is not the Author of confusion.  But I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do about it, short of praying for a feeling of peace in my heart.    But as I lay in bed that night, I think I came upon the solution.  If the secret is focus, then the answer is Philippians 4:8 ~ "whatever is true; whatever is noble; whatever is right; whatever is pure; whatever is lovely; whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."  Anything you can think of that satisfies those criteria, is gonna connect you to Jesus.  You can think of something lovely, like something in nature.  Or you can think of something true, like His Word.  Or you can cut out the middleman, and just think of Him: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy.    And as I was thinking of how this verse might be the secret to not feeling anxious, I realized that it comes in the same passage as Philippians 4:6 ~ "Do not be anxious about anything."  Go figure...  Genius, aren't I?  You should see me doing connect-the-dots puzzles....


Anxiety in chaotic situations often catches me off-guard, so my prayer is that I will remember this verse the next time I find myself in such a place ~ instead of afterwards.  The peace that follows is the promise worth remembering. 

~ "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." ~

Philippians 4:6-8