Since the death of Prince was announced, various stories about the man have consumed the news outlets. One story in particular however stood out to me. It was when he was set to play the Super Bowl halftime show. The rain that evening was a concern for many as they weren’t sure how Prince would react, or what he would do. Yet, when they approached him about going forward and playing in the rain, he responded with confident assurance. He then went on to play a show that some have argued to be one of the best halftime shows in the history of the Super Bowl.

Clearly, I did not know Prince, or his relationship with Christ, or why he was so confident about playing in the rain, but instead of panicking, or complaining, he played and gave his best. Now, if a popular pop star can react this way to less than ideal circumstances, how much more should we as Christians react to the storms in our life?

Storms: We will all face storms, whether they be financial, physical, relational and/or emotional. It’s how we respond to them that makes all the difference. Will we cower in fear, explode in anger and/or crawl into an abyss of despair, or will we trust God and His promises that no matter how bad the storm may be, He is with us, guiding us and developing us in faith to ultimately turn our storms to our good and His glory (Romans 8:28)?

Sorrows: When sorrow strikes, it can be difficult to keep moving forward. For we feel discouraged and defeated and to put a smile on our face seems nearly impossible. Therefore, how could we possibly get out there in the world and give our best. Yet, this is when we must remember this life isn’t about us. It’s when we take our view off ourselves and refocus our hearts to Christ, we regain perspective, rely on His promises and move forward through His strength (Jeremiah 12:5).

Situations: There will always be less than ideal situations, but if we always expect perfect conditions, we will be constantly disappointed. Perhaps we have difficult people in our lives, feel trapped in a job and/or face seemingly impossible challenges. How we respond is all a matter of perspective shaped by our faith (Psalm 23:4). When we know He is with us, will help us and wants to use our situations to strengthen our witness and expose others to His truth and salvation. We get to face life with a sense of adventure and optimism as we go forth in faith trusting He will work through us and our situations for His glory.

Application: “Play On” – Psalm 16:8
Though the rains will come, we too can confidently take the field and give our best. For all things come from Him and when we surrender our life, which includes our situations, sorrows and storms to Him, we can trust nothing is out of His control. So, when we take the field, we do so in faith and to give Him glory. We lean into His strength and rely on His promises, choosing to trust and obey through this life, rather than allowing fear to have its way.