Between all that is happening across the seas, the unrest in the world, the division and depravity filling our newsfeeds every day…things that we know and those we don’t are shifting and turning tides within our country which can leave one feeling one of two things. It can prompt the fight or flight feeling, or you might just want to crawl under the covers or bury your head in the sand and hope it all just passes by.
What do we do when there is so much in our lives that we have absolutely no control over, the outcome of whatever it may be is unpredictable, and it is all moving at warp speed? Maybe you are someone who struggles with and has dealt with anxiety either recently or for years. If so you are not alone. When we face many things with uncertainty it can seem as though our stress level is off the charts and make us want to just say “I can’t deal with this anymore.”
Again, I get it. You are not alone. Where do you turn to ease that nervous jitter or palpable fear? The world will tell you to turn on the news. Or you might be inclined to listen to the thousands of podcasts out there all coming from a doom and gloom secular angle. But as Christians we know that we have been given the playbook. We know roughly what to expect and how to handle it. Jesus said in John 16: 33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This is where OUR Peace comes from. This is where our Help lies. our Perspective on the world and our Comfort comes from knowing God has told us what to expect. I have always been of the mindset that I can endure almost anything if I know what is coming. When you know what is going to happen you can face it head on. As Christians Jesus has told us step by step how to tackle what the world is throwing at us, and how we can find a rest and peace in and through him that we will NEVER find in this world. But he doesn’t just leave it there. No he has equipped each and every one of us with the tools and the hope to go out and share that with others.
There is a world that is desperately searching and grasping for answers to the chaos, craving peace, looking for something to ease their stress and anxiety. This is where we come in, the Church body. We are called to walk alongside and share where our Hope comes from, to tell the Gospel message and help others learn what it looks like to have a personal relationship with their Creator and Savior Jesus Christ. The Bible has never been more exciting with prophesies exploding daily right before our very eyes.
WE ARE the generation that has seen more Bible prophesies fulfilled than any before in history.
WE ARE the generation that saw God’s chosen People Israel become a nation.
WE ARE the generation that has witnessed the mapping and way paved for the lawless one.
WE ARE the generation that has seen and witnessed God’s hand in protection of his people, and the chess pieces that are all moving into place.
This is where I would be remiss if I did not take this time to say: if you are struggling to find peace, if you do not know Jesus, if you have never accepted him as your Lord and Savior. It is not too late. Maybe you have accepted Him, but he seems like some mean judgmental guy in the sky. Maybe you have never had that one-on-one personal relationship with him. Again I say, it is not too late.
As things are rapidly moving in the world, there will come a time when we will no longer have that opportunity here on earth to seek him out and grab hold of the free gift of salvation, the free peace that only he can give.
When you do have Jesus as Lord of your life, it is a Change you Can believe in. It is a Change that everyone around you will notice, and it is a Change that can help lead others around you towards a changed life as well. So right now, take a Deep Breath. Inhale the Peace and Love of God, and exhale all the worry and anxiety that has been pent up. Breathe in the Hope and Serenity that Christ has to offer and grab hold of the truth that Jesus does have all of this covered. And hey who doesn’t want to know how it all turns out and who wins in the end?
Shalom Shalom,
