Chaos is not something to be avoided, but embraced as part of God’s design. In this episode, Eric Scovill sits down with entrepreneur and author Gary Harpst to make the case from Scripture that we are all created to overcome chaos and bring order. Gary also shares practical tools for diagnosing and addressing chaos in our lives, organizations, and relationships.
Gary defines chaos as the raw and unformed state of things that exists prior to the imposition of order. It is a state of disorder, uncertainty, decay, or abundance of resources and choices that can feel overwhelming without clear direction or focus. Rather than something to be feared or avoided, Gary sees chaos as a natural part of creation.
According to Genesis, it was the first thing God brought into being. He argues that chaos is not inherently bad, but rather provides the materials that humans are designed by God to take and apply purpose and order to – through our work, leadership, and various endeavors. We fulfill our role of bringing order to chaos by taking the disorganized state of affairs and imposing organization, structure, and unity of purpose through our efforts to steward resources and relationships well.
