By Peggy Welker
Do you ever have competing thoughts swirling around in your head? Often, I feel the pressure of the circumstances surrounding me. I feel a desperation for connecting with God. I cry out for escape and wonder if God is listening. Or how about when the pressure is low and our prayers are answered? In those times, I can certainly allow myself to be distracted instead of desperate. I can convince myself my prayers are being answered because God is pleased with me. But James 1:6-8 describes this as being a double-minded believer and unstable in all my ways. There’s a reason James labels this mindset as unstable.
Modern culture can be described the same way, “like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). Without Christianity as an anchor for society, the cultural message is a whiplash, moving from one dominant viewpoint to another. If we follow the daily news headlines, we can doubt whether God is working in our nation at all. We feel pressed on every side: Marxism taught in our public schools, Springfield and other cities changing their city flag to reflect Muslim symbols1, Missouri in a battle to return us to an “abortion rare” state and watching our children being carried away to Babylon and its culture. How can we move away from feeling tossed to and fro as James describes?
God’s Word reminds us what stability in our faith looks like. Hebrews 11 explains that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. David made his faith tangible through perseverance. He was anointed as King (a promise yet to be fulfilled), yet Saul hunted him down to kill him—for over a decade. Another example is Tamar and Rahab who were women in the line of Jesus’ genealogy. They took the leap of faith in the most unorthodox ways. But their patience, perseverance and faith-in-action ultimately brought fulfilled promises. Hebrews 11’s list of men and women of faith are tangible examples of how faith and hope bring perseverance.
How does hope and perseverance work for Christ followers today? We have faith that Jesus is calling us to be restorers of our Christian roots. Acting from an outgrowth of love for our Savior motivates us to build a path of restoration and reformation. There are three pillars to keep us anchored as we engage in the culture in 2026. First, we must remember that we represent the Glory of God regardless of how long we’ve been paying attention or how competent we feel. Every person in our congregation has a part to play. Tamar and Rahab were women without rights at that time in history, who were not Israelites (outsiders) and with questionable tactics – And yet God used each of them in a significant way. A heart focused on pleasing God and focused on putting our hope in Him can bring God-level opportunities.
Secondly, we must sift our culture and media intake through a biblical worldview lens. Comparing God’s Word to our culture and reading the Weekend Resources from the Watch and Pray portion of the church service are a good place to start. I have read many of the books suggested and they have helped equip me with the language and the proper speaking points for very complex issues. These help me be equipped with truth. 1 Peter 3:15 commands us, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. And that brings me to the third pillar to focus on.
Finally let us keep our eyes on the prize. What is the prize? John 15:5-8 gives this perspective: “whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Being obedient is commendable. Being educated and equipped is proper. But where does it lead? What is this prize Paul speaks of? I would mirror Pastor Ron’s constant reminder to “love God and love people.” Developing relationships within the civic arena is planting eternity in the hearts of those you meet.
On a related note, Civic Engagement Leader Theresa Collins is asking individuals to help research school board candidates. She said, “I like to just have a list of questions in front of me and then give them a call and have a five-minute conversation. You never know where that will lead.” As God’s people who have been forgiven much, we are called to bridge the gap with others, and to be grace-filled rather than easily offended. Often this means creating working friendships with others that are less-than-aligned with everything we believe. Galatians 6:9-10 challenges us: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Again, it says we are to not be weary, another way of saying to persevere. It tells us to look for opportunities to do good to all people, reminding us to give Grace to others, as God has given His Grace to us daily.
But we cannot persevere, we cannot forgive, we cannot extend Grace without knowing the Author and Finisher of our faith – Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit and Father God. It is our faith that brings all these other qualities together.
Christian Evangelical leader and Prophet Lance Wallnau recently tweeted, “Troubled. Perplexed. Persecuted. Cast down. None of that disqualifies you – it confirms you’re in the fight. The pressure isn’t proof you’re failing; it’s proof you’re being prepared for something that cannot be stopped.” (x.com 2/17/26)
So join us in re-establishing godly principles in our public square. God has called each of us to make our world a little brighter through our efforts. What small area will you engage in this season?
Notes:
RESOURCE: “God’s Chaos Candidate” by Lance Wallnau.
