What are fault-lines? Fault-lines are places deep in the earth’s crust where the plates are cracked, like a concrete sidewalk. And movement and pressure from deep inside the earth, causes those plates to move, and pull apart, and even collide with each other.
And when this happens, it causes earthquakes and seismic changes that go all the way up to the surface of the earth.
Sometimes this results in tremendous devastation and loss of life. Roads are cracked, buildings are crumbled, and people are killed. Keep in mind, however, that not all disruptions are bad. I mean, fault-lines don’t always destroy. Sometimes they cause amazing things to happen. Sometimes they create awesome, beautiful things.
It was fault-lines, which caused tremendous disruption and damage at the time, – that resulted in the natural beauties we know today as the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and the amazing Old Faithful Geyser.
So think about this: Just as there are under-lying, fault-lines that cause disruption and change on the surface of the earth — there are also things that happen, “fault-lines” if you will, that cause disruption and change in our lives as well.
And most of the fault-lines of life are not something we can choose or avoid – they just happen, like an earthquake. And when they do, they alter everything on the surface of our life.
Some of the things that cause such unexpected disruption and change may be … A Call upon our life – when God asks us to do something we weren’t planning on and don’t feel prepared for. A Crisis – when something unexpected happens and our world seems to fall apart. A Conflict – with another person. A Compromise – and now things aren’t the way they should be or used to be. A Failure – when you fall short and now you’re left to struggle with guilt and disappointment. A Death – when someone you love and depend on is suddenly gone.
These are all times and experiences of great upheaval in our life. They are always disruptive. They are always uncomfortable. They always seem unfair. But they’re not always bad…
When we experience the fault-lines of life, the ground beneath us will always move in one of two ways: It will either make us better, or it will make us worse.
It will either create in us a volcano of anxiety and hate – or a geyser of grace and love.
It will either leave us destroyed – or it will create in us a supernatural wonder of what God can do.
Either way, one thing is for sure – things will never be the same again – when you’ve encountered a fault-Line in your life.
So the question is: How can you come out Better, instead of Worse?
There was a man who was going through a lot of difficult times, so he went to Mother Teresa to seek advice and prayer. After explaining how confused and uncertain he was, he asked her to pray that he would have clarity.
She just smiled and said, “No, I can’t do that. Clarity is the last thing you are clinging on to and must let go of.”
The man said, “But you seem to always have such great clarity in your life – and I want what you have.”
She chuckled and said, “I have never had clarity, but I have always had TRUST. So I will pray that you learn to TRUST in God.”
And that’s my prayer for you. I pray that as you experience the confusing Fault-Lines of life – you will learn to TRUST the Lord; because when you Trust – I promise, you will GROW – closer to God, and more like His Son Jesus.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
