What Happened to My Peace?
Are you a worrier? I try not to be, but at times I find myself consumed with worry. It sneaks up on me when the car’s check engine light comes on, the home air conditioner breaks on the hottest day of the year, and the washer won’t spin! I find myself barking at my husband when he asks a simple question, and struggling with insomnia. What happened to my peace!
Maybe instead of freaking out about a broken AC unit in the dead of summer, you struggle with paying the rent, having money for tuition or childcare. Even more basic, you have multiple priorities, all “urgent”, and you don’t know where to start. Worry can easily creep into our daily lives and slowly invade our peace of mind. How do other people manage? How can people you know have the same problems and still have peace?
Peace is definitely a gift from God. Philippians 4:6-7 says: “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.” Worry causes us to lose sight of the promises and provision of God.
How to Fight Worry
So what do I do when worry sneaks up on me? I pray. My relationship with God gives me access to Him and I am encouraged to go boldly to God in my times of need. (Hebrews 4:16) If I cannot sleep well, and I toss and turn because of a situation in my life, I get up that minute and pray again. I talk to God about the situation and ask Him to guide me through it. After that, I can normally rest peacefully. Often, God does not immediately remove the situation, but in prayer I finally give the situation to God.
The other thing that happens during my time talking with God is I remember all He has already done. All of the problems I have had in the past, God directed me through them. My car check engine light was just a loose fuel cap. When the washer broke, the repairman fixed it at a reasonable cost. On top of that, God allowed me to find a reasonable air conditioner repairman! Since God has handled my problems in the past, I should trust Him to handle them in the future.
When we have a relationship with Jesus, we can go to God about our problems. He helps me to relax and reminds me that He has helped me in the past. Prayer also helps me to remember that He has power to do something about my situation and answers that I cannot always see. When I trust that God is in control, then I can have peace.
Also See: The Promises of God by Billy Graham
