Peace.

“But don’t be fooled; if peace is what we seek, we will find it’s true sources only in Christ.” ~Ruth Chou Simons

If you have known Jesus for any amount of time, you know that the way He lived was completely opposite of the world. The whole “In the world, but not of the world,” concept. Radically different. And honestly to live that way, it takes radical faith. Something Jesus had; something that I want to have. However, it is not easy. It sometimes seems wrong to go against the world, but God calls us to live not for this world, but for His Kingdom. Why? To glorify Him yes, but also because he wants us to be free. And so much of what holds us in bondage is ourselves, our own thinking.

Thinking, “We can do it on our own.” Holding so tightly to this idea that we are in control. Well, news flash for us, we aren’t. And the minute a storm comes into our lives, that reality becomes blatantly obvious. We have no control. But, we do have a choice, a choice to live a different way, to live in freedom. And Paul tells us EXACTLY how we get there:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

1. Rejoice in the Lord.
2. Pray. Go to God FIRST with what is filling our hearts and minds.
3. Be grateful. Even in a season of nothing, we woke up today and God has purpose in today (Psalm 118:24).
4. Number 4 – the best part. When we trust Jesus and give him our anxieties, He provides this unexplainable peace that surpasses all understanding. It is the most amazing experience to feel that peace in the eye of a storm. A lot of people miss this one, and I have been guilty of it in the past. The idea that yes, Jesus does call us to be radically different, and against the ways of this world, and that is HARD. Living a Christ centered life can be hard. BUT, the fruit of our labor, the fruit of the spirit, far outweighs the “Hard”. The benefits outweigh the cost, and when we start to experience some of these benefits, this truth is clear to see.

It’s simple, but simple doesn’t mean easy. Focus on ourselves less and focus on God more. That is the answer. That is how we walk in freedom. Putting this into practice is simple, not easy.

When the fire happened and I had no place to live, I never thought, “How will I ever find a place to live?” This is where my head was at, “Well God, you got me, you allowed this to happen, you put me here, you will make a way.” And He did. He absolutely did. But what was even more amazing was the peace I felt all along the way. Since then, I have watched peopled live in fear, live in bondage. It is heartbreaking. And yes, it makes sense. It was horrific, it was traumatic, it was life-altering. I get it, I lived it. But, why do I not have that fear? Why do I have a place to live and so many others are homeless? How is that fair? How do I have peace amidst all of this? My only answer, the only logical thing in my brain that makes sense is God. I surrendered to Him a long time ago, I continue to do so every single day of my life. Amidst the tragedy I did not focus on myself, but instead on God, on His faithfulness and His goodness. Because of that, I am living with this peace that in the world, just doesn’t make sense. Because I knew instantly that there wasn’t anyway I could do any of this on my own. I needed God then, and I still need Him today. And to be clear, even if God didn’t choose to provide me with warm shelter, food, and all of the resources needed, I feel like I’d still be okay, homeless on the beach, figuring out how to survive, and trusting that He is with me. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of Fear, but of power, and love, and self control.”

There are a million and one things that rush through my mind daily. Life is busy, life is full, life can be painful. And although God promised there would be trouble; He didn’t want us to stay stuck in the chaos, in the grief, in the valley. He wants more for us, even on this side of heaven. Today, right now. So, we take whatever it is that is heavy on our hearts and lay it at the feet of Jesus. He is waiting for us with open arms. He wants us to surrender so that today, we can walk in freedom. Freedom from bondage, freedom from control, from fear, from anxiety, from the world, from ourselves. He invites us to come as we are, baggage and all, to be with Him so that He can bring healing to our lives, so that He can heal our hearts, so that we can be set free.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our maker! Psalm 95:6

Love and blessings,