God, Are You Ever Afraid?

I was talking to a friend recently and she made one of the most profound statements that I have heard in quite some time. She said that God is not afraid of chaos, and I said “What?”

You see, I am a creature of habit. I like order and predictably, and you can rightly assume then that I am not a fan of chaos. I don’t like confusion or unpredictably. It makes me uneasy and tense, and since I am afraid of chaos, I had unknowingly projected those feelings on to God.

Now I’m not saying that God is a fan of chaos. Scripture tells us that, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33) However, being a God of order doesn’t mean that he cowers from chaos. In fact, quite the opposite is true and we see this in the story of creation.

In the beginning, the world “was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep." (Genesis 1:2) Such familiar words to us, but have you thought about what formless means? The ancient text used the words tohu bohu - confusion and emptiness, chaos and desolation. There was only darkness, thick darkness upon the face of the deep, and in the darkness was chaos.

In his commentary, Mathew Henry said that the chaos we read about in the creation story represents the state of an unregenerate graceless soul: “There is disorder, confusion, and every evil work. It is empty of all good, for it is without God; it is dark till almighty grace effects a blessed change and that he did!”

And just like he did in our lifeless souls, God indeed worked a mighty change on the formless deep. We read that the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2), and when the Spirit of God begins to work, who or what can stop him? “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6) He spoke and order emerged.

Yes, God brought order to the chaos. He divided the darkness from the light (Genesis 1:4), separated the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth (Genesis 1:7), divided the sea from the dry land (Genesis 1:9), made all plants and animals (Genesis 1:11–12, 20–25), and he created mankind (Genesis 1:27). God then placed Adam in a beautiful garden “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) Everything was right, but unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way. Chaos was reintroduced when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The order inherent in God’s creation was suddenly damaged, and since that moment, man has lived in a world where there is confusion instead of surety, deception instead of truth, weeds instead of crops, and pain instead of ease. Not only that, man’s relationship with God became chaotic. The close, intimate relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God was replaced with separation because a holy God cannot be in the presence of evil (Habakkuk 1:13).

Chaos, however, did not take God by surprise. He didn’t throw up his hands in despair or run in circles crying, “What should I do! What should I do!” God did none of those things because he already had a plan in place. He sent his Son to remove the chaos of sin and to restore spiritual order to all those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. As Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). The thief, Satan, brings chaos, but Jesus brings order and peace to his people.

Deep in our souls, we know that we were created for the order that Jesus offers. It’s like we have some ancient memory of what life was like in the garden, but there is also a battle that rages within us as the thief attacks! That’s why we find it so hard to live in harmony with others (Romans 14:19), and how we seldom use our words to build others up (Ephesians 4:29). Some days it just seems to be impossible!

How do we find peace then when we are knee deep in chaos?

These are just my thoughts, but first, I think we have to ask ourselves if we are the cause of it. Yes, we need to take a long look in the mirror and be honest with ourselves: Is our chaos a result of poor choices on our part? Are we living outside of God’s will seeking satisfaction in the world instead of him? If so, we need to repent and go back to the place where we last heard from God. What were you doing when you last felt his peace in your soul? If you aren’t sure, ask God to show you the way back. Friends, he will not hide from you when you seek him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

However, I also know that your current state of chaos may not be of your doing. Some situations are outside of our control, which brings to mind the night when Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him (Mark 6:45, emphasis mine). Jesus knew there would be a storm that night; a storm that would be more than they could handle. Yet in that storm they would have the opportunity to see him walk on water! Jesus wanted them to trust and believe that he put them in that boat for a reason and to not be afraid.

Like the disciples, we too must learn to trust in his wisdom and goodness. The chaos swirling around you may not make sense at this moment, but we have such a limited view. I’m guilty of begging God for rescue the minute I see trouble. If something is hard, my first thought is flight! Yet what if God was about to do something incredible that I would miss if he immediately delivered me?

It’s not easy though, and as I have wrestled with God over this, he kept bringing to mind the concept of light verses darkness. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” (Isaiah 9:2) In a world that is filled with chaos, darkness, and confusion, we have a choice. We can choose to stay in the darkness, afraid of chaos, and doubting that God can do what he says he can do, or we can step into the light.

Friends, Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome the light (John 1:5). Never has and never will. We can also look forward to the day when chaos will disappear. Yes, one day it will be gone! There will be a day when God will restore order to his creation. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, “for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

No more chaos. No more confusion, and “then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Until that day, we keep walking in faith. Therefore, the next time that I feel overwhelmed by my circumstances, instead of running away, I am going to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).

My God who is not afraid of chaos.

For the glory of God!  Lisa

Discussion Questions

I projected my fear of chaos onto God. Is there a fear that you also have put on God that shouldn’t be there? If so, what is it?

How does the structured, orderly process of creation reflect God's nature?

Share a time when you either brought on your own chaos or you were thrust into it not of your own doing. How did God deliver you?