The month of March comes filled with craziness of all kinds. From March Madness to March weather, most people spend the month cheering one minute or moping the next over teams winning and losing or the weather changing unpredictably.
Whether people discuss that last-minute lucky shot, how lucky they were to have brought an umbrella, or the luck of the Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day, casual comments about luck abound in March. While you may think most people have no interest in luck, many people actually believe that chance or luck affects the outcome of their lives.
Thankfully, Christians don’t need to rely on luck because they have Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world and provides a steady, loving, tangible presence during difficult times. He leaves nothing to chance because God maintains control. Christians can continually remind themselves of God’s presence by choosing to wear Christian streetwear from CXXII. This faith-based clothing brand offers clothing that reminds you of the peace you receive when you put your faith in Jesus.
Find a Refuge in Christian Faith Apparel
Believing in luck or chance means you have nothing on which you can depend or rely. You’re like a drifting boat with no oars, going wherever the wind, waves, and current take you. When the water feels warm, and the current flows softly, your boat meanders along easily.
However, when the wind picks up, the waves get bigger, and the current grows stronger, you have nothing but the mercy of the elements to depend on for survival. Relying on luck in times of need leaves you helpless.
The disciples of Jesus knew what it meant to be battered with waves and feel helpless. Matthew 14 describes that Jesus had performed His miracle of feeding the 5,000 and went up into the hills to pray. His disciples took a boat onto the Sea of Galilee and fell asleep.
They awoke in the middle of the night to a storm perilously tossing their boat around in the water. They became frightened and then saw what appeared to be a ghost walking on the water in their direction. They didn’t know at first that the ghostly figure was Jesus.
Verse 27 reports that Jesus called out to His disciples and told them to not be afraid. He said, “Take courage. I am here!” With the presence of Jesus calming their hearts and minds, Peter asked if he could join Jesus on the water.
Jesus invited Peter to get out of the boat and walk toward Him. As Peter walked, the wind and waves frightened him so badly that he began to sink and shouted out to the Lord. Jesus immediately grabbed Peter and lifted to the safety of the boat.
Peter learned a lesson that Psalm 46:1 affirms: “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” If your life seems messy and out of control or you’re sinking in the storm, God promises to be by your side and pick you up as you are, mess and all. Just stop and think of what this verse says:
- When you need safety: God provides a refuge.
- When you feel weak: God supplies the strength.
- When you find yourself in trouble: God promises to always be ready to help.
People often think they must be near perfect or totally straightened out before they can seek God’s help. God points out in His Word in Luke 5:31 that “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” You don’t have to wish for luck to get you through. God provides a safe place for you, and you can put your hope in Him. When you claim His promise to be your safety net, your Christian apparel can reassure you that God knows it’s okay to not be okay.
Focus on the Light in Your Faith-Based Apparel
People who follow Jesus have just as many imperfections as His first disciples did. So stories about the disciples become powerful lessons for living as a Christian. Peter’s experience offers a great illustration. When Jesus grabbed Peter in the storm, He questioned why Peter had so little faith and doubted the power of Jesus.
As soon as Peter began focusing on trouble, he was overwhelmed. As soon as Peter lost focus of Jesus, he suffered these immediate consequences:
- Peter noticed the bad things surrounding him.
- Peter became frightened.
- Peter began to sink.
Peter’s lack of focus caused his faith to fail and allowed him to be swallowed up by all the horrible things around him. Christians can be surrounded by horrible things every day, such as:
- Sin
- Death
- Disappointment
- Anguish
- Pain
However, God knows your struggles and the state of the world in which you live. When Peter kept his focus on Jesus, he could do amazing things. God wants the same for you. God rejoices over you and wants to do amazing things through you. Just focus on Him and not the craziness or frightening circumstances surrounding you.
The Bible provides much encouragement for Christians to keep their focus on God:
- Keep your eyes firmly on God. Hebrews 12:2 encourages Christians to keep their eyes on Jesus as they live their lives.
- Focus on Heavenly things. Colossians 3:2 asks Christians to set their minds on things above and not on the Earth.
- Center your thoughts on godly things. Philippians 4:8 urges Christians to think about things that are true, honest, and pure, all characteristics of God.
- Find peace through focus. Isaiah 26:3 promises to give Christians peace by fixing their minds on God.
Peace can be hard to come by in today's world, and those who know true peace didn’t get it by chance. They have Someone on which they can depend. All who have put their faith and focus on Jesus can be assured to receive peace—peace that they will have eternal life and peace that God stay with them constantly always ready to help. Christian-based apparel proclaims that peace and offers Christians a tangible way to show the riches God provides through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ask for Directions
Some people just hate to ask for directions. They meander around thinking they will find what they need at the next turn. They just know they can figure it out without stopping for help. They believe they have the tools and the power to find their way.
People tend to be that way with God. They don’t ask for help. Instead, they look to themselves to figure something out instead of having faith in God. Just think about Peter. Jesus had just performed an amazing miracle hours before the storm, but Peter took one look around at the waves and felt the fierce wind, and he forgot all about the power of Jesus as he thought about his own humanity.
Christians tend to repeat the pattern. They get into a troubling season of life, and rather than ask for help, they sink to the depths that surround them because they thought they could figure it all out on their own. They fail to ask God for help because they think they’ve let things get too out of control.
God knows what you’re dealing with, and He has already proven that only Jesus could do it all. Jesus died on the cross and conquered sin and death to give the world a path to Heaven (John 3:16). God has proven His power and His commitment to His people. He simply asks that they follow Him.
The direction of your focus directs your path. If you keep your focus on God, you put your fear, worry, and pain in His hands and allow Him to direct you. Proverbs 3:5–6 promises that God will direct your path if you do these the following:
- Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
- Forget what you think you can do or what you think you know.
- Recognize Him in everything you do.
Wearing your favorite faith-based apparel provides a great way to recognize God in all that you do. It can also serve as a constant reminder throughout the day to forget your own ideas and to focus fully on Him. Focusing on God and His plan for your life lights a clear path and direction for you to take.
You can’t rely on luck. Jesus provided Peter with a path, and He never left him. When Peter cried out, Jesus lifted him up out of the water. Jesus does the same for Christians. He maintains a constant presence through the Holy Spirit so that Christians don’t have to drift through troubled waters alone. Christians can rely on Jesus to lift them up from difficulty.