Early church reformer Martin Luther sometimes fell into periods of depression that could last for days. During one of these periods, his wife, Katie, decided to dress in black mourning clothes. Luther finally noticed and asked, “Are you going to a funeral?” She replied, “No, but since you act as though God is dead, I wanted to join you in the mourning.”

Is your God dead? Are you living like you are in mourning because of a pandemic or the political and racial tensions in our country? Worse yet, have you become cynical and angry because you believe America is going down the toilet—our political systems broken, our elections rigged, our country without hope?

Katie Luther taught her husband an important lesson that day. She taught him that hope and optimism are a choice, not a feeling. She was confident that no matter what happened in the world, her God was still in control. 

We can have this same confidence, for “the Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen’” (Isaiah 14:24). Furthermore, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).

Katie Luther’s God was not dead, and neither is ours. So turn off your political news channels and stop listening to social media fearmongers. Your God is very much alive and well and “works out everything to its proper end” (Proverbs 16:4).