Does life ever feel out of control to you? Does it ever feel like pure chaos? I’ve got good news for you, God delights in transforming chaos into beauty.

In Moses’s account of creation, he writes, “The earth was formless and empty.” The word “empty” that’s used here carries the meaning of a “formless, chaotic mess” (Strong’s concordance #8414). I find it so inspiring that God’s first creative act was transforming the chaos into something beautiful!

Sometimes when I’m working hard on a piece of writing and I return to read it, I think to myself, “Wow! This is a formless, chaotic mess.” Other times I look at my schedule and think, “Oh man, this is a chaotic mess.” Can you relate?

Maybe life has become too busy and as a result it feels like a chaotic blur. Maybe you’ve got conflict in your relationships and as a result you’re living in a continual state of darkness and depression. Maybe work feels out of control and as a result you’re paralyzed, not knowing what to do next.

Here’s what I know. Order precedes beauty. God created the world in a purposeful and poetic order. In your life and mine, how do we bring order back to a chaotic mess so that it is transformed into beauty? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Recognize the Spirit of God is hovering. Some of the most encouraging words in the Bible are found in Genesis 1:2, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” When the earth was formless and void – a chaotic dark mess – God’s Spirit was moving. When everything feels hopeless, remember, the Spirit of God is still moving on your behalf. He delights to bring light from darkness, beauty from ashes, order to chaos, and clarity to confusion. The question is, are you attentive to where He is moving?
2. Reflect and Consider. Spend some time analyzing what led up to the chaos. Don’t just ignore it and hope it will go away. That might be tempting, but it’s never productive. You might take a day alone for personal reflection. Pray and invite God into your mess. Then, map out the problem and consider solutions. Ask yourself questions like, “How did my schedule become so out of control? Is there some activity that I need to let go of?” Or, “How did this relationship deteriorate?” Or, “How can I restore beauty and balance to my life?” Often when we’re dealing with chaos, we just keep going and the cycle continues. What if instead, you paused, and pulled away for some personal reflection?
3. Take Action. Even if you only take one tiny step – do something. I remember when I first started writing books, I got so overwhelmed looking at the whole project that I would become paralyzed. My editor gave me wise advice. She said, “Becky, just start writing.” Great advice. Similarly, suppose your closet is a mess. Looking at the mess and spazing over how long it will take won’t help, will it? Suppose your schedule is overwhelming. Rather than obsessing over how you’re too busy, start by just pulling one thing off your calendar. One step will empower you to take the next step. When God created the world, He did it one day at a time. Consider, what one step can you take this week to bring order into your chaos?

Remember, God delights in bringing beauty out of chaos, and His Spirit is moving on your behalf. Here’s a question for you: what one step will you take this week to re-establish order in your life?