Is it Really Ok Not to be Okay?

 Often when people ask me the question: “How are you?” or “How have you been?”, my default response is: “I am okay” or “I have been okay.” This response, I admit has not been the most honest or truthful response in recent times due to the craziness that is the year 2020.

I think if we are truthful to ourselves and actually take a long deep look in the mirror, we might notice that we haven’t been okay or maybe we haven’t been doing as alright as we all portray ourselves to be doing on our perfectly curated social media timelines.

There is absolutely no need to pretend before God or even people, sometimes we just have to be frank enough to admit that times have been tough and we have been struggling to keep afloat.

However… There is a question that I want you to ask yourself today:

“Is it really okay not to be okay?”

Is it really okay that we are dealing with crazy amount of stress on a daily basis? Is it okay that we are one of the most sleep deprived generations in the history of the world? Is it okay that suicide is one of the top killers of men and women in the world? Is it okay that divorce rates are at an all time high? Is it okay that we are living in fear almost all of the time?

… I’m going to go right ahead and answer the above questions for you: NO… It’s not okay!

Last week I read from the book of 2 Kings 7: 3-10. The scripture speaks about four leprous men who were definitely NOT OKAY but chose not to succumb to their situation. They chose to do something about the seemingly unending cycle of starvation, lack and sickness in their lives. Their decision to move from their state of not being okay was documented in verse 3 when they said to one another:

“Why sit we here until we die?”

There is a song that I’ve always loved from a young age which speaks of how we have a friend in Jesus. There’s a point in the song which says:

“Oh what peace we often forfeit

Oh what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.”

We have a friend in Jesus. We have a lifeline waiting to be redeemed. We have an ever present help in times of trouble. The book of 1 Peter 5: 7 tells us to cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us. Oh what a word! Jesus cares for you and me: He cares that we are not okay. He cares that we are going through one of the most stressful periods of our lifetime.

Yes… It’s okay not to be okay, but it is not okay to stay not okay. I love King David because he was a man who would always cry out to God when life’s problems became so overwhelming towards him. That is why God described Him as a man after His own heart

Allow me to pray with you today. Whatever you are going through, always remember that you have a friend in Jesus who cares deeply for you:

Dear Lord…

Thank you for this message today which has reminded me that you are an ever present help in times of trouble. Thank you for reminding me that I have a refuge in you. Lord I come unto you today and ask that you help me in my situation: help me to keep afloat. Help me to never forget that you are there for me at all times.

In Jesus’ name… Amen.

May God bless you.