When Your Friends Go Crazy!
He was going through a challenging season – major work decisions, high stress. Truth is, he was quite difficult to be around. Chaos, high tension and fear was the cloud following him. Others can be difficult to be around when they are going through a tough season. Of course, we can be just as challenging, but that is a different post!
As I reflected on the world of my friend – the chaos, the fear, the stress – I heard the whisper of the Spirit, “Jesus said to Peter, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you…” What? Is it possible that my friend was being sifted? Sifting was a major process in the Bible times. It would include putting the wheat in a bag and slamming it down on rocks. Slamming! It hit me. My friend was getting the stuffings beat out of him!!! And my response was frustration? The whisper of the Spirit was to see the moment differently; from a spiritual balcony. See the sifting, the pounding, as more than just something I don’t like about the person, but understand it from a balcony view.
My heart was moved in that moment. Rather than joining the enemy in accusation (at least accusing in my own mind), I was being invited to pray. Pray for restoration. Pray for grace. Pray, not complain. Pray, not accuse.
Wonder what might happen if we could see with the eyes of our heart into the spirit world and understand that at times when others are going through a crazy season they may be under attack? Wonder if we are being asked to enter the crazy from a posture of prayer? How might that change their world? Or would it change mine more?