The last few weeks have been hard. Uncertainty feels like the name of the game. The news changes minute by minute. Most of us are under some form of stay-at-home, social distancing order. Children are out of school, we are forced to work at home, and if you are like me, it is a lot for your anxious heart to take.
I am thankful that months of counseling have prepared me for this moment. As someone who struggles with anxiety, this time has tested how far my worry can go, like pouring salt on an open wound.
Uncertain times can make even the calmest heart feel uneasy.
With the ever-changing situation, we have to find ways to cope, ways to handle the stresses that are flying at us. We have to deal with the anxious thoughts that seek to take away every bit of our peace.
We have to find ways in the midst of this crisis to rest in the perfect peace that God provides.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:26)
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
What our hearts need right now more than anything is the peace of God.
We need it to pour out over us every minute of every day. For some of us, the question may remain, how do I grab hold of this peace that God gives? How do I find it in the midst of the chaos around me?
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1. Quiet Time
The first moments of every day, I try to spend it with Jesus. I put my Bible in front of me, make a pot of coffee, and read. Without fixing my eyes on Jesus before I even begin the day, I will seek to do it all in my own strength and wisdom.
I cannot know how to face the constantly changing world without knowing the truth of God’s word. His Word is where I learn who He is and how to receive the peace He gives.
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2. Prayer
Every morning, once I have read my Bible, I open my prayer journal and begin to write. I lay out every worry and pain that sits in my heart. I confess every sin that may hinder my prayers. I hold nothing back. This is my space each morning, to be honest with the Lord about what I need.
Prayer is our line to the Father in all things. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, gives us the cure to our anxieties. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
We can take our anxieties to Him, pray about our worries and concerns. He is faithful to hear, and verse 7 says, “and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer brings peace.
3. The Promises of God
This is a new item to my daily needs for my heart. My counselor encouraged me to think about a promise of God each day. Focusing on His promises keeps my heart in a place of peace because my Heavenly Father can be trusted.
Each promise God makes, He keeps. The promise to give peace is true. The promise to deliver is true. The promise to never leave our sides is true. I can rest in His promises every day, knowing that He will always come through. This is how we have peace; we rest in the truth of who God is.
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
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4. Worship
Every day, my heart needs worship to rest in a state of peace. My worship music playlist is strong and filled with songs that keep me pointed to hope and peace. When I hear words that bring peace to my heart, I focus on Christ rather than the circumstances that are in front of me.
Worship aligns my heart with Gods and allows His Spirit to pour peace over my aching heart, in the midst of my circumstances.
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker!” (Psalm 95:6)
5. God’s Strength, Wisdom, and Peace
There are days still in the middle of this quarantine season where I don’t know what to pray for. I don’t know what I need, but there is always one thing I seek even if I feel I have nothing to pray; God’s strength, wisdom, and peace.
I will admit up front that I have nothing figured out. I don’t have the answers that my mind so desperately wants, but I have a Heavenly Father who knows the plan from start to finish. He knows the outcome of the hard days and says, “trust me.”
This is the way to peace, knowing and trusting God no matter what we see in front of us. He is worthy of praise for the peace that He showers over us. Each of these five things are what I desperately need daily to rest in His peace. No matter how long quarantine lasts, and no matter what the Coronavirus tries to take from us, we can rest in Christ. Who went to the cross for our secure peace.
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
Michelle Rabon is a wife and homeschooling mom of three who feels called to help women thrive in their walk with Jesus every day. In 2012, she started Displaying Grace, a ministry that is focused on helping women engage with God’s Word. Michelle has also served in women’s ministry for the past five years seeking to equip women in the local church through Bible study. When she is not writing or teaching, she enjoys reading, being close to the ocean, and drinking a lot of coffee.
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Originally published Wednesday, 15 April 2020.
