When Life Feels Out of Control: What to Do in the Storm

Meta Description: Storms are guaranteed in life. Here's what the Apostle Paul teaches us about staying calm, trusting God, and doing our part when we feel out of control. URL Slug: what-to-do-in-the-storm Featured Image: A dramatic aerial photo of storm clouds breaking open to reveal sunlight over open water, symbolizing hope breaking through chaos.

Let me ask you something honest: what storm are you in right now?

Maybe it's your marriage. Maybe it's a child you're watching make decisions that break your heart. Maybe it's a job that ended months ago, and you're exhausted from interviews and rejection. Maybe it's your health, your loneliness, or a financial situation that feels completely out of your hands. Whatever it is, here's what I know for certain: you're either in a storm, coming out of one, or headed toward one. Every single person reading this falls into one of those three categories.

This past Sunday, I had the privilege of opening Acts 27 with you — and I'm convinced it's one of the greatest chapters on leadership and faith in your entire Bible. It's the story of the Apostle Paul, a prisoner on a ship with 276 people, sailing straight into a hurricane. And what he does in that storm changed how I think about every hard season of life.

Stay Calm by Remembering Who Controls the Outcome

Paul is a prisoner. He's in chains. He has zero official authority on this ship. But when the storm hits — a wind of hurricane force the text calls a "northeaster" — Paul is the calmest person on board.

Why? Because Paul knows who controls the outcome. He can't control the weather. He can't control the sailors or the centurion. But he has complete confidence in the One who controls all of those things.

Here's what I want you to write down: Confidence in God produces calm in the chaos.

So often we determine our obedience based on our perceived outcome. We think, "That will never work," so we don't do what God is calling us to do. But God sometimes slays giants with boys and slingshots. He sends people through a fiery furnace only to bring them through it. He dies on a cross and gets placed in a grave — only to walk out three days later. It doesn't always make sense. But he is the one who controls the outcome, not us.

Calm people lead scared people. Scared people don't need a scared leader — they need someone whose confidence in God is greater than their fear of the storm.

The Storm Is Where Your Faith Is Seen

For fourteen days, Paul's ship is tossed in a hurricane. No sunlight. No stars. The crew throws the cargo overboard. They throw the steering tackle overboard. Luke writes that they "gave up all hope of being saved."

And then Paul stands up — a prisoner — and takes control of the room.

"But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost... Last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'" — Acts 27:22-24

This is the thing about storms: they are your greatest opportunity to believe what you say you believe. Everybody's watching. Faith is most clearly displayed in the trials of life, not in the comfortable seasons.

I think about John Wesley, who boarded a ship to America as a minister of the gospel — a seminary graduate, a chaplain — and when a violent storm hit, he was terrified. But a group of German Moravian missionaries sat quietly and sang hymns. When the storm passed, Wesley asked them how they stayed so calm. The lead missionary looked at him and simply asked: "Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?"

That question became, as Wesley described it, "a rock in my shoe." He surrendered his life to Christ. His storm became the moment his faith was born.

Your storm might be someone else's salvation story. People come to faith by seeing the faith of others.

Do Your Part and Trust God for the Rest

Here's where it gets practical. After fourteen days of fighting the storm, Paul does something unexpected. He gathers everyone together and tells them to eat.

"For the last fourteen days you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food — you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive." — Acts 27:33-34

Then he takes bread, gives thanks to God in front of everyone, breaks it, and eats. It's almost a communion moment in the middle of a hurricane.

The message is clear: God is in charge of the outcome, but we still have a part to play. You are responsible for your own spiritual growth. Daily bread — prayer, the Word, community, worship — these aren't optional extras for when life is comfortable. They're the things you cannot afford to skip when life is hard.

The enemy loves to use anxiety and despair to distract you from the basics. And when you cut corners spiritually during a storm, you compound the problem. The decisions you make in the storm will shape your life after the storm.

Don't turn to coping mechanisms. Turn to God. Because he is doing something so much bigger than what you can see right now.

Consider the Experience of the Pilot

As I was wrapping up Sunday's message, I shared something that I think about often now. I used to have a serious fear of flying — rooted in a fear of being out of control. Then one day, I sat next to a pilot on a flight. He sensed my anxiety and said something I've never forgotten.

I asked him if he was afraid during turbulence. He laughed and said, "Afraid? No — we're having fun. That's the only time we get to use our training."

Then he said: "Consider the experience of the pilot."

Lake Pointe, I want to say the same thing to you about God. Consider his experience. He spoke the universe into existence. He parted seas and shut the mouths of lions. He brought men through a fiery furnace without even the smell of smoke. He fed thousands with a few loaves. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and raised the dead.

And then — he died on a cross for your sins, was placed in a grave, and three days later walked out.

If he has defeated death, what are you afraid of?

Romans 8:28 says it plainly: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

His experience is perfect. His record is flawless. He is undefeated. You can trust him with your storm.

Three Things to Remember When You Can't Control the Storm

1. Stay calm by remembering who controls the outcome. You don't have to have all the answers — you just have to trust the One who does.
2. Remember that the storm is where your faith is seen. Your greatest opportunity to believe what you say you believe is when you actually need to believe it.
3. Do your part and trust God for the rest. Keep the spiritual basics in front of you — prayer, the Word, community — especially when the storm makes you feel like you can't afford to.

If this message resonated with you, I'd encourage you to watch the full sermon and share it with someone who's in a storm right now. And if you're not already connected to a small group where you can process life alongside other believers, make that your next step. You were not designed to navigate the storms of life alone.

Social Media Excerpt (Facebook/Instagram): You're either in a storm right now, coming out of one, or headed into one. The Apostle Paul was chained on a sinking ship — and he was the calmest person on board. This week's message from Acts 27 will change how you think about every hard season of life. Read the full post at the link in bio. 🙏

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