Competing forces will contend for the place of authority in your life. You cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). Romans 13 encourages you to subject yourself to the authorities of this world, but to do so mindful of Who has the ultimate authority. Our guiding passage as The Equipped community, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, reminds us it is the authority of scripture that holds highest priority in our life. It is that authority to which we ultimately and resolutely yield.

Two innocent young people serving their country were tragically gunned down. That is the reality of this story. There are many competing narratives aimed at pointing blame in one direction or another, but the most important point for The Equipped community is to acknowledge those who have been harmed and are grieving, and to look for ways to come to their aid.

We as Jesus followers should strive for civility and endeavor to love our enemies as ourselves (Matt. 5:44). It is easy to interpret that command as an admonition to avoid disagreement, but in fact we are called to embrace the refining process of weighing various perspectives (Pr. 18:17, Pr. 27:17, Pr. 11:14). Taken together, those three passages encourage us to hear both sides, to onboard a variety of counsel, and then to submit to the refining input of others.

The recent spate of attacks on churches and schools in Nigeria continued on Friday when 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted from a Catholic school. Fifty of the 303 managed to escape over the weekend but the remainder are still in captivity. The attacks are the latest in a long string of violence carried out on religious minorities—particularly Christians—in Nigeria. Two people were killed and 38 briefly kidnapped at a church on Tuesday in what has been a sustained targeting of churches.

The Philippines was struck by not one but two typhoons in recent days. Last week, Typhoon Kalmaegi killed more than 230 people in the country before also claiming at least five lives in Vietnam. On Monday, Typhoon Fung-wong killed at least 18 in the Philippines and now threatens Taiwan. Both storms contained intense wind, torrential rain, and widespread flooding. More than a million people are displaced, and many of them are facing a prolonged rebuild or permanent relocation.

Tragedy strikes in a moment. It is a reality of life on Earth and a clear reminder to set your eyes on that which is eternal. Just as certain as the fragility of earthly life is the certainty of eternal heavenly life. By setting your eyes and your focus on the latter, you will dramatically improve both your peace and your effectiveness in the former.

The systematic and mass slaughter of human beings made in the image of God specifically for their faith in Jesus is an atrocity that demands the world’s attention.