Who would have imagined that James Bond's preferred way to have his favorite alcoholic beverage prepared would actually be prophetic. Certainly not my wife and me. One of our early dates was at a Bond flick, and he ordered his customary drink (as he happens to do in many of his movies) "shaken, not stirred."
We, on the other hand, would rather be stirred and not shaken. We can be stirred to action by seeing an opportunity in a business venture. And Paul admonished Timothy to "stir up that gift that's in you." We can even be emotionally stirred by something we see. Perhaps it's someone's pain that we want to alleviate. It could be that our deep emotions are stirred by the heroic action of an ordinary person.
Being "stirred" implies some positive consequence might come about as a result. Being "shaken," on the other hand is a far different story--as in, our economy is being shaken.
Being shaken is not fun. I remember in the fifth grade being literally lifted off the ground and shaken by the principal of our school when I was caught carving my initials in the wooden panels of a bathroom stall. Being shaken does not invoke fond memories. There are times we may have been shaken by the death of someone we love. We may have been shaken by a false accusation from a supposed friend. We may have felt shaken when someone in our company stole from us, putting our business in jeopardy.
And now we could be shaken by the severe economic downturn and what it may mean for us, our families, and our businesses. But shaking is part of God's plan. Hebrews 12: 25-29 explains some of this:
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. (NKJV)
God, not man, is shaking governments and economies. Many manmade schemes will crumble in the process. This includes things we've created for our own selfish or misplaced purposes rather than under God's creative anointing. But God has a tremendous promise for us, His people: "We are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken." Let the shaking continue. We are Kingdom people. We will do business God's way.
The writer of Hebrews continues: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Heb 13:5-6, NIV)
While others may be shaken, we will be stirred.