What Does the Bible Say About Societal Chaos—and How Do You Stay Steady?

Hey, friend, come close for a minute. I'm not talking about physically. I'm talking with your heart. Because I want to name something you've probably felt this week.All you have to do is turn on the news and you'll see it. It's not just stress. It's not just the news. It's the sense that this world is loud. And for so many of us, our soul just can't find quiet.Think about it like this. You wake up in the morning, before your feet even hit the floor. Listen, I'm talking about myself here.Before my feet even hit the floor, I'm reaching for my phone. And it's not because you're addicted, although I think in some ways, maybe we are. And if we want to be honest with ourselves, most of us are.We're just bracing for what comes next. We want to know what happened overnight. We want to know what we're going to fear today.And, friend, I don't know about you, but to me, that's exhausting. It just absolutely wears you out after a while. Then you go to the store. Let's just say you continue on with your day.And even the grocery aisle feels tense. You're walking around, people are short, people have their eyes down. Everyone seems like they're carrying some huge burden. And you can feel it.It's almost like static in the air. Your day ends up. You get home, you're finally still, just looking for some calmness. But that stillness still doesn't calm you. It just exposes you.Because your body is tired. You've been worn out, but your mind is still running. And you whisper it quietly, maybe even say it out loud. I know I've said this a million times.Lord, what is happening to this world? And maybe the scarier question is this. What's happening to me? Have you ever felt that kind of. I call it inner shaking, friend.If you have, because I have, you're not weak. You're not failing. You're not too sensitive. I hate when people say they're too sensitive. No, you're a human being living in unsettled times.Hey, spoiler alert. We're living in unsettled times. So today we're going to do something what I call holy. We're going to look at chaos through the lens of Scripture.That's why I do this show. Now, this isn't about sensationalizing end times. I'm not going to argue about politics today.But I want to help you stand steady when everything else feels unstable. Because when you look at the Bible. It doesn't deny chaos. What it does, though, it refuses to bow to chaos. And there's a huge difference.What if God has a way to steady you today? Let's talk. That's what I want to uncover on today's show. I stand firm, though the culture shifts like sand.Your truth, oh, Lord, is where I choose to stand. Truth unveiled. Truth unveiled. Hey, friend. I'm Ralph Estep Jr. I just want to welcome you to Truth Unveiled with Ralph.When I think back when I started this show, I kept seeing the same pattern. I saw good people trying to live faithfully but feeling overwhelmed by the pace and the pressure of this world. I call it culture. Now.I'm an accountant. I'm a business owner by trade, and I've spent decades watching what pressure does to people. It doesn't just hit their budgets.It hits their marriages. It destroys relationships. It hits parenting. It hits our sleep. And I've learned something myself. When life gets loud, you don't need louder options.What you really need is a deeper anchor. And that's what I want to do here. Every single week. We name what's real in culture, what the loudness is. But we don't let culture disciple us.We let scripture lead us. We let Jesus steady us. And we choose hope that doesn't crack under pressure. And if that's what you need today, you are absolutely in the right place.And I want to share a viewer message I received just the other day. And this person, her name is Lauren. She said, ralph, your episode about shelfless faith was so awesome. It was encouraging and convicting.Been loved listening to the show. Good stuff. I'll tell you what, when I got that message, it just made my heart melt. So, Lauren, I want to say thank you so much.It's those type of encouraging comments that keep me going here every week. So if you're feeling like something is impacting you in a positive way on the show, you can leave a comment right here.You can reach out to our website, truthunveiledwithRalph.com.but I truly want to reach every single one of you, and I appreciate and I will respond personally to every single message, every single comment that you make, because that's why I do this. Listen, I don't have formal religious training. I don't have a degree in theology. I'm just like you. I'm just an average person.I'm a. I'm a Christ believer. You better believe that from the beginning.And all I'm trying to do on this show is take what's going on all around all of us and show how Scripture gives us a better path. So let's get back to today's cultural tension, because here's the tension we're living in. Culture says panic means you're informed.We were all informed, aren't we? And culture says outrage means you care. A lot of people are going around outraged all day. And culture says if you're calm, guess what?You're careless. And you feel that pressure, don't you? You feel that pressure to react quickly as soon as you see something. Oh, I gotta react.All these people out on YouTube, I saw something. I gotta post my opinion on that. We're all trained to pick a side. We gotta pick a side right away, either left or right, whatever that is.And we're all pushing this pressure to post something, to fight, to defend ourselves. But let me just tell you something and listen. I feel those same pressures. I get it. But scripture calls us to do something different.Scripture says, be sober minded. It's saying that for a reason. It understands the chaos that's going on around us. It understands the constant noise. Scripture says, do not fear.Well, it's easy for scripture to say that, but we live in this crazy time. We live in this world where we don't know what's going to happen next. But that's what scripture is telling us. Do not fear. And I love this part.Scripture says, let your hearts not be troubled. Think about that for a second right now. Is your heart troubled by something? Are you looking at the news?You're scrolling social media like, wow, my heart is troubled by what's going on. I get it. But what is scripture telling us? What's the reinforcement? It's saying, let your hearts not be troubled.So let's think about the contrast between culture and Christ. That's the whole point of this show. Culture trains you to live from your nerves. That's what it basically tells you to do. You are always on edge.You're always wondering what's going on. Like I said, you get up in the morning, the first thing you do, what happened overnight? How do I react to this? How do I embrace this?What side am I on? How am I going to fight against this? What's my protest?But Christ trained you to live from your faith and see those two voices, the culture and the Christ voices are never going to harmonize, are they? Have you noticed how easy it is to drift? Leave your comments right now. Have you noticed how easy it is to drift in this culture?And see here's what happens in chaotic times. We are living in chaotic times. People don't just seek truth, they seek relief. And that's really what we're seeing today.Anything that makes you feel safe, anything that gives you control, or maybe I'll say better way to say it, is give you pretend control. So we grab for that. We grab for control with opinions and predictions and sometimes just pure anger. But here's what you need to hear right now.Control is a poor savior and friend. I want to say this gently. If the world is loud right now and your heart is loud right now, that doesn't mean God left.A lot of people say, ralph, it's clear to me God has left. God's given up on us. He's thrown into town. He said, I had enough. I do not believe that at all. I think God is here more than he's ever been.But it may be that God is calling you back to the only place that still holds. Let's put this in honest language around what you're feeling. I like to take real information.This is the American Psychological association reported this. 77% of adults say the future of our nation is a significant source of stress. Now, that's from the United States.But there's a lot of people that watch this show all over the world. And I guarantee it, the same thing is going on in your country. 77%. That's not a small group. That's two thirds. That's more than two thirds.I'm a math guy. I should know that. But that's the majority of people. The majority of people are saying the future of our nation.I'll say nations is a significant source of stress. Guess what? Because they live in those things. And here's what the US Surgeon General reported. Half of US adults say they experience loneliness.So let's connect those dots. See, when society feels unstable and people feel alone inside of it, and when people feel alone, that fear just gets louder and louder.And doesn't that explain so much of the noise? I'd love to hear your comments. And this episode isn't about judging people. That is not what I do here. I will never judge people.I truly believe my goal is to shepherd hearts, and it starts with yours. Today, let me tell you a story that might feel uncomfortably familiar to many of you. Just picture this. It's late. Your house is quiet.You finally sit down and everyone's already in bed. And you find that comfortable chair. I'm just picturing this myself. You pull up that blanket to just give yourself some Warmth.And you tell yourself, I just need a minute. What do you do? You grab your phone, you open up your phone, and then one headline becomes 10 headlines, one clip becomes another.You get lost in the doom scroll. You're on TikTok or Instagram or YouTube or Facebook. And then at one comment thread becomes a bottomless pit. It sounds familiar, doesn't it?All you want to do is just disconnect. All you want to do is relax a little bit. What did you do? You grabbed the thing that makes you reconnect and makes you easy.And at first, yeah, you feel informed. Oh, I'm seeing what's going on. Listen, this is what's going on in the world. I do it myself. I'm not calling you out on anything I don't do myself.But then what happens? You get angry. Oh, I can't believe this is happening. Can you believe this? And then once that anger starts to break, the fear takes over.You feel afraid. And then once all that compounds on each other, you just feel heavy. You don't feel motivated, you don't feel ready. You just feel burdened.And you put your phone down and you just stare at that ceiling for a minute. And here's the honest part. It's not only the world out there. It's the fear in here. It's that fear that things are slipping away.It's that fear that your kids are growing up in a world you don't even recognize. I say this all the time. My kids are 24 and 28, and I just cringe of what the world is that they're seeing right now.I look back to my childhood with the nostalgia and coat. It was so much different then. But it's a world that I don't recognize. Do you recognize it? And that stability is fragile.And if we're being honest, the peace is scarce. But that's when scripture needs to meet you.Now, this isn't a time for cute quotes or catchy memes or TikTok videos, but this is a time for living truth. And I'm going to share four episodes of Scripture today. Psalm 46, Matthew 24, 2nd Timothy 3, and Romans 8.One of the things that I want to encourage you to do as you listen to the show or you watch this show, have your Bible out or check your Bible later, I want you to always look at what I'm talking about. And as I walk through these today, I want you to keep asking this question. Where is God in chaos? Who is God in chaos?And what does God ask of Me, in that chaos right now, are you willing to let scripture lead your emotions? Let's get right to the first one. This is Psalm 46, verses 1 to 3. And this is what it says.God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea through its waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging. Now, I want to give you a little historical context here. Psalm 46 is a song of trust. It's what they call a worship anthem in threatening times.Listen, this is apropos for today, isn't it? It's written for people who know what danger feels like. This isn't some theoretical faith. This is what I call storm faith.This is living in the storm. Are we living in the storm right now? I love your comments. And the psalm opens with this. God is our refuge and strength.Now that refuge is not a slogan. A refuge is where you run when you can't fight the storm. Picture yourself out and a thunderstorm is coming. You don't want to be out in the elements.You look for a refuge. You look to get undercover. Well, that's exactly what Satan is. God is your cover. And it points us to God. And it tells us this.God is not only true, God is also available. Think about that for a second. The maker of the universe is available to be your refuge. He is able to be my refuge.It also says God is not only holy, but God is near. So God is available and God is near. And God is not only strong, God is also present help. So he's available. He's near and he's present help.Doesn't that make you feel reassured, Friend, Your nervous system needs this. When your heart says, I can't hold this, God says, but I can. Let me ask you this. Where have you been running for your refuge lately?Be honest with yourself. Where are you running for that? Has your phone become your shelter or has your phone really turned into the storm?And see, Psalm 46 doesn't say nothing will shake. It doesn't tell us that. It basically telling you, and this is my opinion, that you better expect the world to be shaky.The world is going to be shaky. It says even if it shakes, God holds. See, there's a difference there. Foreign. Let's move on to our second scripture. That's Matthew 24, 6, 14.Now this is basically end time scripture. I'm not trying to sensationalize end times, but it applies to what we're talking about. Today, this is what it says again. Matthew 24:6 14.You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen. But the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these things are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death.And you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.Because of the increase of wickedness. The love of most will grow cold. But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.And this is the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come. And I want to give you a little historical context here. This is Jesus speaking to his disciples.They're asking him, father, what about the future? How about the end about what's coming now? Jesus could have lied to them. He could have said to them, oh no, everything's going to be good.But that's not what he did. Jesus is bluntly honest here. He tells them, there is going to be wars. People are going to fight. There are going to be rumors of wars.There's going to be nation rising against nation. There's going to be earthquakes, there's going to be famines. Sounds like the daily news, doesn't it?Now, maybe it's not wars, but listen, turn on the news, you'll see wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, all kinds of pestilence they talk about. When I was a young boy, we used to hear these. We called them fire and brimstone preachers. This is what we're seeing.This is what's going on around us. But here's the line that we skip way too quickly. Jesus says, see to it that you are not alarmed. And I want to park there for a second.Jesus is saying to us, don't be alarmed. Be prepared. He doesn't deny the headlines. He challenges your heart response. See, you can be aware without being alarmed.You can be informed without being inflamed. And you can grieve the world without surrendering to panic. See, Jesus isn't telling us don't care.A lot of people say, well, I'm a Christian, I don't need to care about the world. That's not what he's saying. He's saying, don't be controlled by the world. Because when you allow that, that alarm is a kind of bondage.So let me ask you this right now. What's keeping you alarmed? Is it information? Is it imagination? Are you watching the world or are you worshiping the worry?And see, Jesus also says the gospel will be preached as a testimony. And I love this part. Meaning that chaos doesn't cancel the mission. Chaos clarifies the mission. Here's our next scripture.This is from second Timothy, chapter three, verses one to five. Again Timothy, second Timothy three, one five. But mark this. There will be terrible times in the last days.People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy without love, unforgiving, slanderous without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness but denying its power have nothing to do with such people. Well, that's like a laundry list of problems, isn't it?But let me give you a little context again. This, this sounds familiar to you, doesn't it? And this is Paul writing to Timothy. Now Timothy is a young pastor. Timothy is new. He is Christian walk.He's a young pastor. So he's talking to other people and he's warning him about the last days. And what is he telling him? People are going to become lovers of self.Look around. You see that going on? I sure do. People are going to be lovers of money. A go figure. Do we see that going around? Yes. People are going to be proud.People are going to be abusive, people are going to be unforgiving. This is the diagnosis of a culture. When God is being pushed out, let me dare say something bold. God is being pushed out of culture.And if you don't believe it, look at the laundry list I just made. And this is what you've got to hear right at this moment. When people worship self, community breaks. When people worship money, love cools.And when people lose truth, they replace it with power. And here's the haunting line you need to hear. Having a form of godliness but denying its power. And just think about that for a second.Godliness, everybody's oh, godly. People are going to be more godly, Ralph. But that's not what he's saying here. They're going to have a form of godliness.See, that's religion without surrender. That's personal religion. In my view, it's going to be words without life, performance without presence.So let me ask you this Bold question, can you see these traits in culture right now? I'd love to hear your comments about how you're seeing those. And can you see how easily they creep into each one of us?And this passage isn't here to help you hate the world. It's here to help you stay awake and stay clean hearted. And there is a massive difference.It's about being aware, being clean hearted, and as Jesus said, knowing what's to come to not be surprised. Here's our next scripture. This is Romans 8, 22 to 25. If you listen to me, you know I love the book of Romans, but This is Romans 8, 22, 25.We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth, right up to the present time.Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit, grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen in no hope at all, who hopes for what they already have.But if we hope for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently. And I absolutely love this piece of scripture. Paul is writing to believers living under pressure. Let me tell you right now.I dare say he's writing to you right now. As you watch this, he's writing to me. He describes creation itself as groaning. Just think about that.Like childbirth, this donging this year, like aching for redemption. But here's how it applies. The chaos you see is not proof God that is absent. It's proof that the world is fractured. The world is broken.And listen, it doesn't take a PhD to see that. And that fracture produces groaning. I remember when I was a boy, about 16 years old, I was wrestling and I broke my arm. And that hurt.I could feel that, that, that groaning, that was a fracture. The world is that way right now. But Romans 8 also says this. And this is the beauty. This will put a smile on your face. It says, we wait with hope.We don't wait with fear. We don't wait with anything other than that. And this is absolutely critical. Hope is not denial. Hope is not being naive.Hope is confident waiting based on God's character, because he promised us some things, didn't he? So let me ask you this. What if that ache you're feeling is actually a signal? What if that longing points to a coming restoration?Friends smile for that there is a restoration coming. And friend, Scripture gives you a map, not a date chart, a map for your heart. God is refuge. Jesus is honest.Sin has Consequences, yes, but listen to me. Hope is real. But let's weave that into a life that you can live. I always want to give you something you can take away.I want to give you five integrated truths today, not five cutesy points. I want to give you five anchors for chaotic times. This is how you get through the chaotic times. Here's truth number one.And you've got to acknowledge this. Chaos is real, but it's not ultimate. The Bible does not sugarcoat the world, it just doesn't.You read the Bible, look at the things that are listed there. It's like a. It's like a bad movie. Isn't tells the truth about sin. It tells the truth about broken system. It tells the truth about human hearts.It's maybe a truth we don't want to hear. Wickedness, godliness without any anchor. But it also tells the truth about God. God is not improvising. God's not making this up as he goes along.God's not panicking. Let me dare say something. God is not confused by any of this, friend. Chaos feels ultimate when you only look horizontally.When you only look around you, of course it's chaos everywhere you look. Social media, TV news, books, magazines, all those things. When you look horizontally, it feels ultimate.But when you lift your eyes up, you remember this. And a lot of people deny this. But history has an author and that authority is God and Jesus Christ. What if the world is loud but heaven is not loud?What if the world is loud but heaven is quiet? But there's a critical difference and you got to understand this. Let's look at truth number two. Your heart was not built to carry everything.Own this one today. Your heart was not built to carry everything. And I want to say this kindly. Some of you are over informed and under anchored. And I'm not judging you.You know every headline. You ever meet somebody, they know everything going on. Music. This one said this and this one said that. And can you believe this?They know every headline, but they don't sleep at night. Yeah, you can quote the crisis, but you can't find any peace. And that's not because you're a bad person. It's because you're human.Your mind was designed to carry obedience, not omniscience. You're not God. Guess what? Big takeaway today. You are not God. I am not God. We were made to be faithful, not all knowing.So out of love I ask you this question and I would love for you to put you in the comments. Are you trying to carry what belongs to God, right now, are you trying to carry what belongs to God? So many of us listen, guilty as charged.I try to carry so much. That isn't for me to carry, friends. It's for God to carry. Let it go. Surrender that. Here's truth number three. Fear makes false saviors feel holy.Now I'll tell you, that's a bold thing to say because fear does something sneaky. Fear makes control feel like wisdom. Well, if I can control this, I'm being wise. I can do this. I'll break the fear.And fear makes anger feel like courage. When you see something that outrages you, you get angry about it and it feels like this. False courage and fear makes harshness feel like strength.You ever meet somebody like that? That is so harsh. You know why they're harsh? Most of the time they're fearing something. They're trying to carry it all on their own.So in chaotic times, people naturally look for a savior that matches that fear. They look for a strong voice, somebody who shouts the loudest. We can go through history and talk about those who shouted the loudest usually.Didn't end well, did it? They look for a perfect plan. Oh, I've got the best plan. I've got a 10 point plan to fix all of this.And if we're being honest with ourselves, we're all looking for some guaranteed outcome. But friend, Jesus is not a mascot. He's just not. He's not some tool you're going to use.Jesus is Lord and lordship confronts our need to control, doesn't it? Because control is the rival God of anxious hearts. So let me ask you this question again. I would love it if you would comment.Is it possible you want peace without surrender? That one hurts, doesn't it? You want that peace, but you're like, wait a minute, Ralph, I gotta control things.Fear tells me I can't just surrender this. Is it possible that you want that peace but you're not willing to surrender? We'll talk about that in a little bit. Here's truth number four.Jesus called you to steadiness, not spectacle. I want you to listen again to Jesus. What he said, he said, do not be alarmed. This isn't a suggestion.Jesus, he's straight up telling you, do not be alarmed. Not a suggestion. That is discipleship. See, Christian maturity looks like this. And I'm not calling you a child, but hey, guess what?You might be, but maturity as a Christian looks like this. You feel the shaking, the earthquake is all around you, but you don't spiral out of control.Yeah, you see the chaos all around you, but you don't become that chaos. And yes, you grieve. You grieve for what used to be. You grieve for. When I was a kid, it wasn't like this, Ralph.You grieve for what you see your kids doing. You allow yourself to grieve, but you do not despair. And yes, you act. There are times when you have to act, but you do not hate. Don't hate.Steadiness is a witness in a screaming world. A peaceful Christian stands out, that steady person. I'm not talking about being smugged. I'm not talking about being detached.I'm talking about rooted, anchored. You're going to stand out when you do that. Answer this question. What if your calm is part of your calling? Ever think about this?Maybe somebody said to you, you know what, Ralph? You're always the calm person in the room. Maybe that's your calling. It's not that you're detached. It's not that you're not unwilling to speak.It's just your calmness. See, when there's a crisis going on, I want to be around calm people. They can be competent and calm at the same time.A lot of people think, well, this dude over here is too calm. He must not know what he's going on. Good leaders are calm. Look for that. And maybe that's your calling right now. Here's truth number 5.Hope is not a mood, it's a person. Romans 8. Hope is not vibes. It's not optimism. It's not good energy. I hear that all the time. It just drives me crazy.I'm going to put some good energy in the world. It's not going to work. Biblical hope is anchored in the risen Jesus. That is the hope. That is the optimism. That is the only energy that matters.See, Jesus died. Jesus rose, he reigns. And guess what? He's going to return.So hope isn't saying everything's going to be easy, but hope is saying everything will be redeemed. I have a savior that's coming back for me. That means your story does not end in chaos. That's not where the story ends. Are we going to see chaos? Yes.Do I think it's going to get worse? Yes. Do I think it's going to get terrible before it ends? Absolutely, because the Bible tells me so.The Bible is telling you Jesus told you we are going to get to chaos, My friends. It's all around us. But that's not where it ends. It ends in restoration. And that's why you can breathe today. And I love this song from Mercy Me.It's called the Best News Ever. And here's the lyrics that change where we really are today. And this is what it says.It says, what if I were the one to tell you that the fight's already been won? Well, I think your day is about to get better. What if I told you that again, the work's already been done? It's good news. It's the best news ever.What are they saying here? The work's already be done. What if the end of the story is already decided?Guess what, my friends, if you know Jesus Christ, today, it's already been decided. Are you going to go through chaos to get there? Yes. But you've got the power of Christ to get you through it. Now, I want to make this practical.I want to make this memorable. I want to give you something that you can use at 2am because life is going to be chaotic. Here's a model I want you to remember.Five letters, one word. Raise. R, A, I, S, E. And I just want you to anchor yourself. When the world feels chaotic, just think, raise and bring your soul back to God.Let's start with R. Recognize the storm. It starts there. Name it. Don't spiritualize it away. You know, say things like this. I feel anxious. It's okay to say that.It's okay to say I feel angry, I feel afraid, I feel overwhelmed. See, recognition is not agreement. It's just being honest with what's going on around you. Let me ask you this. Love to hear your comments about this.What emotion have you been avoiding naming? How many people have told you? Well, you can't name the emotion. Name it. That's how you start. It starts with R. Let's move on to a anchor in scripture.Find one Psalm, one gospel paragraph, one spoken truth out loud. You don't need 10 chapters. You don't need to be able to quote, cite in a verse. Just I could be three words. Just one. One anchor.And when your mind is racing, you don't need more noise. You need one true sentence. You need those five words. Here's a great one. Psalm 46. God is refuge.When the chaos is around you, just look to God and say, you are my refuge and you are my strength and ever present in times of trouble. Matthew 24. Don't be alarmed when you feel that chaos around you go, well, Christ told me it's going to happen. And Romans 8. Groaning is not the end.There is hope at the end of this. And here's I invite God into that very moment. It doesn't have to be some elaborate prayers.I think about, you know, the profactories on the heads of the Pharisees, and Jesus just called them out on it. But short prayers count. Lord, steady me. I'm feeling this chaos all around me. Lord, guard my heart that's trying to take my heart away from me.Lord, give me wisdom, make me loving. In this chaotic time when people around me hate and people around me are spelling all kinds of noise, you don't have to perform.You just have to turn to Christ. And let me ask you this. In love, when you feel that fear rising, do you pray first? See, that's where you got to do it.You got to start with that prayer. Lord, I can't handle this anymore. When you feel like it's all closing in around you, when the chaos is too strong, just look up.The Lord say, God, help me right now. I'm scared, I'm fearful, I'm anxious, I'm angry. Lord, just come in and you told me you're here for me.Let's look at the word letter S. Serve one person. See, chaos makes people abstract, but love makes people personal. So I want you to serve one person. Just think of somebody.When you're struggling, text an encouraging word to them, like the one we got from Lauren today. That was so encouraging to me. It's funny how it works. I was feeling kind of down. I was feeling kind of like, what have I got going on? I was tired.I got this text, and, man, I just. It was so beautiful. But text encouragement to somebody. Bring somebody a meal, cook something for them. Pick up something for them. Pray with someone.Pray out loud with someone. Put your arms around them. Put some loving on them. And here's what I'm going to say to husbands and men. Listen.Without trying to fix everything, it's so easy. I'm calling myself out right now. It's so easy. When we hear something, I got to fix that. My daily job. I fix stuff all day long.But sometimes we just need to learn to listen, because God's love will ground you. And here's E. And this is what I think the most important part. You've got to engage community. See, in isolation, fears multiply.But in a community, it restores your perspective. And see, that's why the enemy loves isolation. I dare say the enemy is trying to isolate us right now because here's what he knows.Isolated Christians are fragile because they don't have a support system. But he can't battle us when we're strengthened and we're connected. So remember this, friend, you are not meant to stand alone against a loud world.Now let's put some feet on this. I want to talk to you about how to do this at home, how to do it at work, and even how to do it in church.Because truth that stays theoretical doesn't hold you on Tuesday when you're not in church on Sunday. Here's some ideas at home. Set up an input boundary. Like, what are you talking about here? Choose a news window, not an all day drip.You can't handle all this all day long. What I have found in my own life when I turned off the news, I listen to Christian music.If you don't know this, we put out Christian music now through Truth Unveiled with Ralph. It's encouraging. The whole point of that is to be a disconnect from the world. And we talk about things we talk about on the show.If you haven't checked it out, go right to our website, truthunveiledwithralph.com and you can get our music right there. I encourage you. Download those things, share it with people, but don't let yourself be in this constant news drip. Your piece matters.You're going to be thinking, I'm getting on my soapbox again. But create a phone free moment daily. Put the phone away. Maybe it's 10 minutes at dinner, 10 minutes before you go to bed.Replace that scrolling with presence. Whether that be presence with the Lord, presence with your wife or your husband, presence with your children, presence with a friend.Replace that stuff. We got to let go of these phones after a while and speak peace over your home. You might be saying, rob, where are you going with this one?I'm going to encourage you. Read one psalm out loud. Your kids might be like, what happened to dad? What happened to him? Pray a 30 second prayer with your family.I'm so discouraged now. I don't see families doing that anymore. I'm not judging you. Yes, it feels awkward at first.I remember in my own home when we started praying before dinner, my kids are like, where is this coming from? Yes, it felt awkward. But guess what? After we did it for a while, it wasn't awkward anymore.Ask yourself this, what would change if your home felt spiritually covered? I'd love to hear your comments. Well, let's talk about some things you can do at work. Because we all live. We all live at home. We all live.Work, practice, steady witness. I'm fixing to step on some toes now. No gossip, no doom spirals, no Panic speech at work, not because you're better, but because you have an anchor.You know what the answer is? Yes, there's chaos. Share the good news of the gospel, but don't talk about panic. Don't I detest these people all the time.Can you believe this happened? Can you believe this happened? Tell them about the hope. Tell them about the end of the story. Talk to them about the redemption.Here's another thing I encourage you to do. Take some micro pauses before that meeting, before that email, before those hard conversations. Just take a breath, take a break.Just one sentence prayer. Lord, keep me gentle and keep me clear. It wasn't too long ago I was having a disagreement with somebody I love. And I. And I just said to.I said to guys, I was praying and I said, lord, just, just let me be gentle. Give me wisdom to know what to say. And he spoke to me so loud, he said, just shut up, Ralph, stop. Sometimes that's the best you can do.And I just sat there and I prayed. I said, lord, you just gotta get me through this. Keep me gentle, keep me clear. Here's another great idea. Serve one coworker.You got that coworker that needs encouragement. You got that coworker that needs help. You got that coworker just needs somebody to listen to them. That small love is loud in chaos.You may change their world. You may win another soul to Christ. Here's another. Here's a couple things I want to talk about at church. Recommit to gathering.Something I see us disconnecting from when culture shakes is, what do we talk about today? Your worship can't shrink. This is a time to embolden yourself around other believers. Maybe join something smaller than a service. I'm not.Listen, if you're a pastor right now, you're probably like, Ralph's getting ready to go down. I'm not telling you that this service isn't valuable. But let me tell you what I think is even more valuable. Small groups, a class a prayer team.Just a couple people. What does the Bible say? Where two or three gather my name, there I am. Jesus is there in that. And it's in those places that burdens get shared.And dare I say, that's where hope is restored. So nothing I'm going to encourage you to do. Pray for your leaders. You have no concept of how much pressure church leaders are under right now.I work with several churches in my practice. These folks are under amazing pressure. You think the devil is working hard against you?Let me just tell you right now, he's working twice, three times as hard. It's right, scripture based. Cover them, don't ever criticize them.If you got an issue with them, go to them one on one and say, hey, listen, I got an issue with this. Cover them with your prayers and one more action step for all of life. Again, go back to that practice.Raise daily, recognize, anchor, invite, serve and engage. Yet it's simple, but it's powerful. Would you try that for seven days? Would you give it a try? Just, just again, race. And here's a practical note.Get a little bit more into the statistics. Pew research reported that fewer Americans are following the news closely now than in 2016. Here's a number that really encouraged me.From 2016 to 2025, it's down 36%. People hearing this message. People are getting it. That tells you something. People are overwhelmed. People are tired.So don't shame yourself for needing boundaries. If somebody says to you, did you miss that on the news? Yeah. Guess what? I created a boundary so I don't live in that chaos.And now I want to speak to you personally because you might be feeling this right now. You might be saying, ralph, I feel so far from God right now, man. You're convicting me today.It's not me convicting you, it's the Holy Spirit convicting you. First of all, I'm just a messenger. You might be listening today and you're realizing something, Ralph. I've tried to manage by fear alone.I've tried to control everything. I've tried to self saving. You're tired, aren't you, friend? Jesus is not waiting to shame you. He's inviting you back home.And he's not inviting you after you fix yourself. Listen, if we want to wait till we're fixed, ain't none of us going to heaven. He's inviting you right now. Right at where you are. Your brokenness.If you want to surrender to Christ or recommit your life to, maybe you committed to him a long time ago. But it's like I got to recommit this. Pray this with me. Wherever you are right now, just Jesus, I need you. I confess my sin, confess my pride.Lord, I confess my control. I believe you died for me and you rose again right at this moment. Forgive me Lord. Make me new. Be my Lord and be my Savior.Teach me your peace, Teach me your ways. I surrender and I give you my life, Lord. And I assist in Jesus name. Amen. Friend. If you prayed that, I want you to hear this. Welcome home.You're not alone anymore. And I'd love to hear from you. Reach out to me. Go to our website, truthunveilwithralph.com/decision. I would love to hear from you.There's a celebration going on in heaven because you've recommitted or if you've chosen Christ for the first time. And let's tie all this together. Yes, society can shake. Guess what? Society is shaking. It's the birth pains. It's the groaning.Yes, culture is going to unravel. And yes, fear can fear loud. It can feel super loud. It's all around us. But here's the reassurance.God is not fragile and neither is your future in Christ. Here's your one takeaway for today in one sentence. When the world shakes, God holds on so you can stand. Now let's pray together.I want to do a guided prayer together. I want you to breathe. I want you to drop your shoulders. I want you to unclench your jaw right now and just breathe this in.Father, we are bringing you our hearts. And we confess we've carried way too much. We confess we've tried to control what we can't control.And Lord, we recognize the storm, name it right now and make it right for us. And we anchor in your word, Lord, be our refuge, be our strength, be our present help. So Jesus, we invite you into this very moment.Calm our minds, Lord, steady our emotions and cleanse our hearts, Lord, show us one person to love one well. Make our faith practical and keep us connected to your people so we're not in isolation. We surrender again, fresh and honest, Lord, in Jesus name.Amen. Well, friend, I want to invite you to something practical and supportive. I talk about this on the show every week.I want to invite you to our community. You get to that by going to truthunveiledwithRalph.com/join.And when you join, you get access to a free resource for your home called the Digital Family Digital Wisdom Guide. Because one of the biggest chaos amplifiers in modern life is unmanaged digital input. You hear me say it all week, don't you?And you deserve help with that. You deserve help building wise, peaceful rhythms and peaceful homes. Friend, don't carry this alone anymore. Let's build steady hearts together again.That's at truthunveilwithRalph.com/join. So as I close, Father, keep the listener close to you today. Be their refuge when fear rises.Guard their mind, strengthen their home, fill their life with peace and make them a steady light in a shaking war. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. I love you, friend. God bless you today, and I hope you join me again soon.