True Peace
Do you ever have days where you are feeling extra anxious? Overwhelmed? Like there is too much to do and not enough time in the day? Hear me when I say this…YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Personally, I experience those feelings more often than I would like to, and to be completely honest, I don’t think it’s talked about enough. Sometimes we are too afraid or too prideful to be vulnerable and transparent about these things. So, I want to open up the conversation, share some scripture and talk about some things that have truly helped me through these moments and that I hope will help you, as well.
I want to start with pointing you to scripture. If you don’t know this already, Jesus is the ONLY thing that will ever be able to bring you true peace! You can look for it in your job, relationships, materialistic goods, but all of those things are fleeting and do not have the capability to sustain us. God’s word says this, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7) The first thing this verse calls us to do is rejoice!! I do think this can sometimes be easier said than done but think about how transformative it could be for us if our first instinct when feeling anxious was to rejoice!! If we said, “Okay God, right now I feel overwhelmed and unsure, but I THANK YOU anyway for all you have blessed me with.” If we start off our days with listing things that we are thankful for, I guarantee that you will start to feel more grateful than anxious.
Ephesians 4:22-24 says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” As humans, we like to replace old things with new things, right? Maybe you’re in need of a new car. Well, you’re not just going to sell your old car and not get a new one, right? You’re going to want to swap it out for something new. In the same way, if we want to “put off” or “get rid” of an emotion, we’re going to have to replace it with a new one. Here is an example: maybe you have a co-worker that is really difficult to get along with and it creates feelings of anger or frustration towards them. I would challenge you to “put off” that anger and “put on” love. Without replacing that emotion, you’re never going to stop feeling angry. Without replacing anxiety with peace, you’re always going to feel anxious. Make it a habit to “put off” your old ways and “put on” your new self!
Lastly, I want to reference Matthew 6:19-21, which reads, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” What I take away from this verse is that where our desires and our hearts are is where all our efforts and priorities will be. If our hearts desire is to look a certain way or be friends with certain people more than anything else, then that is what all of our energy will be put into! I want to clarify that those things are not inherently evil! Wanting to be successful and have good friends and be able to enjoy life is not bad. However, if that’s where all of our time and efforts are going then of course we are going to feel let down when those things cannot sustain us and bring us everlasting joy and peace. “But seek first His Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) When our focus and priority is God and seeking his Kingdom, everything else will fall into perfect place according to His perfect plan.
Challenges:
Put off and put on. This is so powerful!! Like it says in Ephesians 4, challenge yourself to put off your old ways of life and put on your new self! Speaking from experience, this allows so much more joy in your life! When you’re not holding on to those heavy emotions that way you down, you can find freedom and peace.
Carve out quiet time in your day. Something I am so passionate about and always make time for in my day is at least 10 minutes of quiet time with the Lord. It’s the time that I can escape the loud, busy world and experience peace and feel close to the Father. I challenge you, if you are struggling with a busy schedule, anxiety or just feel like something is off, TAKE THIS TIME. The Lord hears you and knows your struggles. Let him in!
Do an activity that brings you JOY. This is my last challenge for you. No matter how busy you are, I want you to promise me that you will also take time to do something you love. This is important for our wellbeing and is just overall FUN! Whether it’s going for a walk, getting dessert or calling a friend, I want you to take a little bit of time and fit it into your day! It can make such a difference!
Prayer:
Lord, THANK YOU for this day. Thank you that, in the midst of our crazy and busy lives, we can still come to you and find true peace. I pray for every person reading this. No matter what they are going through, I know you are walking through it right there with them. We know that you are a God of true peace and we come to you when we feel overwhelmed and anxious about our days. I pray that we discipline ourselves to take time to spend with you every single day so that we can grow closer to you and feel your presence in all that we do. We love you and we know that you care for us. Your word says that you work all things together for the good of those who love you (Romans 8:28). Help us to believe that today and every day. We pray these things in Jesus’ name! Amen!