Who Is Your Lightning Rod? Letting God Ground Out Your Storm.
A lightning rod is a metal rod that is used to attract lightning. Lightning rods keep dangerous strikes of lightning from hitting other objects or people. The lightning will hit the lightning rod, the electricity from the lightning will then travel down the rod, pass through wires and then disburse into the ground. The purpose of this system is to prevent damage and even death during lightning strikes.
As Christians, Why Do We Need A Lightning Rod?
Life can be hard.
People can hurt us. Deeply.
Situations can gravely disappoint us.
God allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. It is part of His plan to mold us into what He originally created us to be.
There are several verses in the Bible that speak of what our attitude should be during trials and tribulations. But at times it isn’t so easy – at least for me- to be thankful and rejoice during these hard times.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” James 1:2
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12
Letting God Ground Out Your Storm
Just like lightning flashes through the sky in seconds, possibly leaving behind a fury of damage; so can problems, people and situations damage us.
Anger, bitterness, frustration, doubt, pain, insecurities: all can be left behind as smoldering ashes from the fire caused by that “lightning strike” or painful situation caused by others.
As Christians, we need to have someone in our lives that keeps us grounded. So that when hard times come, the damage is less, because it doesn’t stop inside of us causing a great massacre of who we are. When we have a lightning rod, the damage flows through us and out of us.
When something bad happens, what is the first thing we do?
Call up a friend or two and talk about it? Me. This is me raising my hand.
Even though my friends are Christians and always point me back to Christ and the Bible, I have a bad habit of turning to them before I take it to God.
I am wrong and am working on that.
Only God, the God of the Bible, can ground out my storm. He is the only one that can help me, guide me and heal me when those “lightning strikes” of life.
Instead of running to my friends first, I need to run to God first.
Did you see my earlier post on how coffee was first in my life? Well, here is another lesson God placed on my heart about putting friends before Him.
When we are hurting, we leak. We are leaking emotionally all over the place. People can tell on our faces and demeanor that something is wrong.
When someone has hurt us and we share that issue with our friends, Facebook, Twitter, and even our women’s ministry group that is called gossiping.
What if it is in the form of a prayer request? What if I go up to a friend and say “I need you to pray for my boss.”. Of course, that opens the floor for more details to be asked of me. Which may lead the way to me leaking my emotional pain and anger all over the place.
Not that we can’t have a person or two to confide in, because God did give us each other to pray and encourage each other.
If we are not going to God first, it’s gossip.
Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” Proverbs 26:20
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those that hear.” Ephesians 4:29
I’m not saying we can not have friends that help us during those hard times in life. I most certainly believe that God will perfectly orchestrate the right women to come into our lives to help us, comfort us and point us back to Christ.
But. God first. Unquestionably first. Always.
Let God be your lightening rod. Get alone with God. Tell Him all about those frustrations, pains, and disappointments. Let Him be your refuge and source of hope and healing. Lament.
Let God ground out your storm.
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13
Before taking our problems to anyone else, let’s take them to the feet of Jesus first. And while we are down there, let’s sit awhile and allow God’s love to heal that pain.
God wants to be our lightning rod.
Much love,
Starla