That we live in an unstable world is an understatement. With wars always going on, crime taking place all over, fires breaking out without any warning, hurricanes and earthquakes killing lives and destroying property, and the list goes on, our world is anything but stable. Not to mention all of us will have our world rocked by the death of a loved one during our lifetime, and many of us will be hit by serious diseases. So the question we must ask is how can we live stably in a world that is totally unstable – or is this even possible.
Unfortunately man’s solutions to the entire stability issue are woefully inadequate. Some of these attempts on the surface seem to be helpful but they can never really be relied upon or guarantee us stability. For example, many believe if we can only accumulate wealth that would make our lives stable. However, wealth can bring us little stability if we are hit with a serious sickness. Another example is many believe they can find emotional stability through religion. Sadly, in times of crisis religion, which is basically a manmade belief in a false god, has no real power to provide one with the emotional and spiritual help needed during crisis times. So if money and false gods are not the answer where can we turn in our search for stability?
I believe that the late Pastor John MacArthur provides us with great insight here when he said: “The end of your life must be secure before the present can be stable.”1 You see without a proper view of God, as Christianity provides us with, we will never have a proper view of ourselves or how to live stably in a world of instability and uncertainty.
As Christians what we need to live stably in a world full of the ups and downs of life is to first, understand that instability, trials, and suffering are part of the package of being human in a broken and fallen world. And yet God uses these negatives to help build our faith up as we trust in Christ to pull us through these challenging circumstances. For remember that life is our training grounds for eternity and God will use the broken things of this world to cause us to trust in Him, overcome them, and thus bring Him glory!
Second, even when we get dealt a bad shake in this life, such as a crippling disease, we can still live with emotional and spiritual stability because we know that one day God will restore us to perfect health with a glorified body. For there is a great joy in knowing as a believer that though we may have a permanent disability, in the scheme of eternity it is only temporary.
And third, as Pastor MacArthur shared above when we know we are eternally secure in Christ, we can remain steadfast and stable in the present because we know we can trust an unknown short-term future to a known God, who works all things for good to those who love Him. (Romans 8:28). My friends know this, that when you are secure in Christ, and secure in your future destiny, the present is a time to rejoice in knowing that God will use us, and the unstable times of life, to bring Him glory and draw us closer to Him. For in the last analysis our stability is only as secure as the object of our faith. And when it’s Christ, even when things go haywire, we have a sure anchor to hold onto!
1 John MacArthur – The end of your life must be secure before the…
From the Auditor’s Desk: When all you have is grace – To live correctly in an unstable world.
Neveu’s 2011 Madera Mission message (used herein for this commentary) is blunt and accurate: the answer to why we are Christians and why we want others to be, in this unstable and unkind world…is grace. Not our performance. Not our toughness. Not religious cosmetics. God’s grace.
1. Instability is not evidence of God’s absence.
Mr. Blattman is spot-on: instability is baked into a fallen world. But under grace, instability is not a sign that God has stepped away; it’s the stage where His sufficiency shows.
Paul’s “thorn” didn’t get removed. God’s answer was not a repair order; it was, “My grace is sufficient for you.” When all you have is grace, you haven’t run out of resources; you’ve run out of illusions.
The discernment here:
• Don’t waste energy trying to read every crisis as punishment.
• Do ask: “How is God training my trust, not just fixing my comfort?”
2. Patience is what grace looks like in real time.
In Neveu’s sermon ( ) we learn grace by living through the lessons God gives, not around them. We usually want three things:
• Remove the problem,
• Remove the people,
• Or remove the discomfort.
Grace is the Spirit nudging: “No. Walk through it with Me.”
Patience, then, is not passivity. It is the choice to stay under God’s hand long enough to learn what He’s doing.
Romans 5 reminds us, suffering → perseverance → character → hope. That is a slow process, and grace funds the whole chain.
3. Grace makes eternal security more than a doctrine.
Mr. Blattman reflects that the end of your life must be secure before the present can be stable.
Grace is the mechanism of that security “…Saved by grace, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
• Sustained by grace when the thorn stays.
• Directed by grace into service, not self-absorption.
Stability is not just, “I know where I’m going when I die.” Stability sounds more like:
“My eternity is anchored, so I don’t need this moment to prove anything about God’s goodness.”
That’s a very different way to ride out bad news.
4. Discernment: what you refuse to settle for.
In the Neveu sermon, “…Life gives you what you settle for.” That line belongs right next to Curt’s warning about false gods.
Discernment in an unstable world is often less about spotting the next disaster and more about refusing cheap substitutes for grace:
• Settling for wealth as emotional life support.
• Settling for shallow “spirituality” instead of the crucified and risen Christ.
• Settling for comfort instead of holiness.
Grace doesn’t just comfort us. It rearranges what we’re willing to settle for.
5. Converting grace into action.
Neveu’s sermon is clear: God’s grace is not fully expressed until it is received and converted into action in faith, family, ministry, and how we engage the world.
Mr. Blattman concludes with Christ as our anchor. That anchor holds, but we are not called to simply dangle from the rope. In an unstable world:
• Grace steadies our heart.
• Discernment guides our choices.
• Patience keeps us from sprinting ahead of God.
• Service turns our stability outward, toward a shaking world that needs the same grace.
When all you have is grace, you already have enough to stay steady and to help others find their footing beside you.
“Stability is not the absence of storms; it is the choice to stand where grace has already promised not to move.”
Sources: Madera Mission papers: “When all you have is grace, 1/9/2011” ©
From the Auditor’s Desk: When all you have is grace…
To live correctly in an unstable world.
A mission message brought home blunt and accurate: the answer to why we are Christians and why we want others to be, in unstable times where we are sorely tested, is grace. Not our performance. Not our toughness. Not religious cosmetics. God’s grace.
1. Instability is not evidence of God’s absence.
Curt is right that instability is baked into a fallen world. But under grace, instability is not a sign that God has stepped away. It’s the stage where His sufficiency shows.
Paul’s “thorn” didn’t get removed. God’s answer was not a repair order. It was, “My grace is sufficient for you.” When all you have is grace, you haven’t run out of resources; you’ve run out of illusions.
Discernment here:
• Don’t waste energy trying to read every crisis as punishment.
• Do ask: “How is God training my trust, not just fixing my comfort?”
2. Patience is what grace looks like in real time.
In Neveu’s sermon (When all you have is grace, 1/9/2011 © ) we learn grace by living through the lessons God gives, not around them.
We usually want three things:
• Remove the problem,
• Remove the people,
• Or remove the discomfort.
Grace often provides a 4th option: “No. Walk through it with Me.”
Patience, then, is not passivity. It is the choice to stay under God’s hand long enough to learn what He’s doing. Romans 5 reminds us, suffering → perseverance → character → hope. That is a slow process, and grace funds the whole chain.
3. Grace makes eternal security more than a doctrine.
Mr. Blattman correctly reflects that the end of your life must be secure before the present can be stable.
Grace is the mechanism of that security “…Saved by grace, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
• Sustained by grace when the thorn stays.
• Directed by grace into service, not self-absorption.
Stability is not just, “I know where I’m going when I die.” Stability sounds more like:
“My eternity is anchored, so I don’t need this moment to prove anything about God’s goodness.”
That’s a very different way to ride out bad news.
4. Discernment: what you refuse to settle for.
In the Neveu sermon, “Life gives you what you settle for.” That line belongs right next to Curt’s warning about false gods.
Discernment in an unstable world is often less about spotting the next disaster and more about refusing cheap substitutes for grace:
• Settling for wealth as emotional life support.
• Settling for shallow “spirituality” instead of the crucified and risen Christ.
• Settling for comfort instead of holiness.
Grace doesn’t just comfort us. It rearranges what we’re willing to settle for.
5. Converting grace into action.
Neveu’s sermon is clear: God’s grace is not fully expressed until it is received and converted into action in faith, family, ministry, and how we engage the world.
Mr. Blattman concludes with Christ as our anchor. That anchor holds, but we are not called to simply dangle from the rope. In an unstable world:
• Grace steadies our heart.
• Discernment guides our choices.
• Patience keeps us from sprinting ahead of God.
• Service turns our stability outward, toward a shaking world that needs the same grace.
When all you have is grace, you already have enough to stay steady and to help others find their footing beside you.
“Stability is not the absence of storms; it is the choice to stand where grace has already promised not to move.”
Sources: 1-9-2011 Madera Misson sermon: when all u have is grace