Gavin Ortlund Shares 5 Steps for Christians to Stay Grounded in Dark Times
Michael Foust
Audio By Carbonatix
By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com
Christian theologian and author Gavin Ortlund is reminding believers that Jesus offers the only true light in an evil, dark world, saying in a new video that he, too, has felt discouraged after Charlie Kirk's assassination but has been comforted by the promises of Scripture. The president of the Christian ministry Truth Unites recorded the video one day after Kirk was murdered, acknowledging the world seems to have "crossed a threshold" but that Jesus is the solution to what ails mankind.
Ortlund is the theologian-in-residence at Immanuel Nashville and visiting professor of historical theology at Phoenix Seminary.
"The world has never felt like this, in my memory. We're in a different time," he said. "... There is tremendous evil that is rising up around us, and it's easy to feel disoriented and overwhelmed."
Ortlund offered five steps for Christians who want to stay grounded in their faith during dark times.
The first step, he said, is to focus on Christ. He read Jesus' words from John 14: "Let not your hearts be troubled." When facing evil in the world, Ortlund said, "those are the moments where we need to kind of go back and anchor ourselves in the truths of God's Word, the hope that we have as followers of Jesus, and basically speak back to the darkness." Christ's disciples were fearful of the future when Jesus spoke those words, Ortlund said.
"As followers of Jesus, we have a hope that rises above the evil of the world. And no matter what happens, it's unshakable," Ortlund said. "And so the first thing to do is go to God, go to the prayer closet, go back to the basics."
The second step involves a "fresh resolve" to do good.
"Now is a time not to get quiet, but to speak all the more boldly and lovingly about hope and about Jesus and about truth."
Ortlund encouraged Christians to ignore hateful individuals on social media.
"You don't engage with that, but you speak to the silent onlookers. You speak to those who are troubled, who have a troubled heart, and you speak to them about the hope of the gospel," he said.
The third step, Ortlund said, is simple: logging off the Internet and spending less time online.
"The internet is radicalizing people," he said. "It can affect us, and it is increasing our anxiety. It is distorting our perceptions. …Pull back, go throw the frisbee, get outside, spend time with friends. …If we're just constantly online, it escalates the anxiety. It doesn't help things."
For the fourth step, Ortlund encouraged believers to take life one day at a time. "Don't try to solve all the problems" of life in one day, he said. Instead, he said, enjoy the simple pleasures of each moment of the day.
"This is the wisdom of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount -- you know each day is enough trouble of its own. Don't worry about tomorrow. Focus on 'what is God calling me to do right now?' It's too overwhelming to think about tomorrow. It's too overwhelming to try to fix all the problems."
The fifth and final step is to contemplate what Christ faced in His own life. Jesus was assaulted, slandered, falsely accused, and tortured, Ortlund said.
"And yet through that very thing, God brought good, and there was resurrection hope on the other side. I think we need that when there's terrible pain in the world. When we feel overwhelmed by evil, we need to remember resurrection hope," Ortlund said. "... And it just makes you love Jesus more. It makes you more grateful."
Ortlund concluded by emphasizing the centrality of the gospel in facing life's darkest moments.
"Could we face the evil of this world without the hope of the gospel? I could not. I would not know what to do without the hope of the gospel. But I'm thankful we have that hope that can sustain us, and I hope it is sustaining you."
Photo Credit: ©Instagram/truth.unites
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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