Are you a person who others might say you have ice in your veins? What might that statement mean? Could it mean you do not deeply care for someone, or could it mean you are emotionally detached from your environment, including those around you? I know individuals who seem to thrive on drama or some sort of crisis. They get in such a frenzy it works others around them to go into a crisis mode. If life around them is too smooth, they dramatize a small thing to the point they make it sound like a crisis. I also know individuals who rarely get emotionally charged. To be sure, I much prefer having a medical person, like a doctor, to have a benevolent emotional detachment with my predicament when they must do surgery on me.
As I write this, Russia has invaded Ukraine. No doubt about it, it is a very painful crisis, especially for the Ukrainians. It has the attention of a substantial portion of our world. Russia has occupied the largest atomic energy plant in the world. I understand it provides electricity to a large part of Europe. For that reason, there is talk that Putin is planting bombs around it to use its potential destruction to blackmail the European nations. That is extremely serious! So how are we to respond in such a case? Do we get all emotional and attempt to carry the weight of the world in the palm of our hand? Or do we take a more benevolent detachment approach by looking at the bigger picture?
Humans are not designed to carry the weight of the world in the palm of their hands. Jesus said, that is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon, in all his glory, was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So, don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:25-34 (NLT2) Jesus said this in the context of worrying about financial provisions but the foundational truth behind it is far broader than our worries about money! Paul wrote, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (NIV).
At first, this approach sounds like a cop-out. We cannot just crawl in a hole. It does not seem right to pretend like nothing is happening on the other side of the world or even on the other side of our state. What do we do? Jesus was not paralyzed by the pain of everyone around Him, even though He saw the pain firsthand. He went on doing all His Father had called Him to do and speak. Was He criticized in doing so? Yes, but He responded by essentially saying, “This too is in My Father’s hands.”
Father, teach us to show your love to those around us. But help us to not take upon ourselves more than just the work you have called and entrusted us to do.