We’ve all been through seasons where it feels like the rain just won’t stop pouring. The wind is howling, things are breaking, and we find ourselves asking, “Why is this happening to me?”
But if we are being completely honest with ourselves, not all storms are created equal. In fact, as human beings, we tend to deal with two completely different kinds of storms.

One is a storm of our own making. The other is a storm of divine refining.
If we want to find true peace and grow into who we are meant to be, we have to learn the difference between the two—and stop living for the wrong one.

Storm Type 1: The Storms of Our Own Doing (The Drama)

The first type of storm isn’t a seasonal shift or a test of faith. It’s a storm we manufacture through an undisciplined life and poor choices.
When we use alcohol, drugs, or a bad temper as our default settings to cope with life’s stresses, we inevitably trigger a downpour. These aren’t temporary trials; they are chronic, self-inflicted dramas. Calamity becomes a permanent neighbor because our daily habits keep inviting it over.
But here is the good news about these self-made storms: They can stop almost instantly.
Because they are fueled by our own choices, they can be starved by our own choices. The moment we choose discipline, accountability, and healthier coping mechanisms, the clouds begin to clear. It’s not easy, but it is entirely within our power to stop the rain.

Storm Type 2: The Storms of Refinement (The Trials)

Then there is the second type of storm. This is the one the Apostle James talks about when he writes, “Consider it all joy when various trials come your way.”
These challenges are entirely different. They aren’t a punishment for doing something wrong; they are proof that you are doing something right. They are tests that come to prove we are growing in our faith, our character, and our trust in God.
When God allows these storms to blow through our lives, they serve a beautiful, dual purpose:

• Above the Surface: The fierce winds blow away the “dead wood”—the habits, dependencies, or mindsets that no longer serve us and are keeping us heavy.
• Beneath the Surface: The pressure forces our roots to grow deeper. Out of absolute necessity, we anchor ourselves deeper into God’s strength, developing a hidden, unshakable character.
  You might enter this storm feeling fragile, but you will exit it reflecting the fruits of the Spirit—patience, kindness, and a resilience that will eventually show up in your outward life for everyone to see.

Which Storm Are You Living For?

My encouragement for you today is simple: Live for the second storm, not for the first.

Let’s stop wasting our energy managing self-induced chaos and cleaning up the wreckage of our own bad tempers or poor habits. When we use discipline to shut down the first type of storm, we clear the air.
Then, when the second storm inevitably comes, we won’t panic. We can stand tall in the wind, knowing that it hasn’t come to destroy us—it has only come to clear out the dead wood and pull our roots a little deeper.

Roaming Chaplain