By Margo Woodward
WE are living in unprecedented times with record-high temperatures, gas prices, and not to mention the deadly Coronavirus disease. With so much chaos going on around us, how do we not let it get in us?
By pursuing peace.
As followers of the Prince of Peace, we must be intentional to pursue peace, especially during chaotic times. The more pressure we feel, the more intentional we must become. We must resist the world’s appeal to fear.
The response to troubling times should be different for Christians. Though non-believers may
respond to trouble with panic, this should not be the case for those who know Christ. Though
the Christian may feel that initial fear, he/she must then resort to the truth that has been given for such times. Truth such as:
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Jesus tells us to anticipate trouble. Herein lies our problem. We are not anticipating trouble.
We have adopted the “problem-free” mentality, that desires a life without problems or
stressors. This is not reality. The reality is that we will have trouble. The key is in focusing on
our response to it when it inevitably comes.
What should that response be?
Good cheer. Faith. Trust. The mindset that God will work all things for my good [Romans
8:28].
The blessing in acknowledging our initial response to fear is that it gives us insight into our
heart. The heart is where the issue lies. What is our initial response telling us about the state
of our heart and mind?
Whatever it reveals, deal with it. Focus on the root issue. Uproot anything that doesn’t line
up with God’s truth. God’s truth is the antidote for any heart or mind issue that we have. So
often, our root issues are fear, the inability to control people or circumstances, pride, and even disbelief. Whatever our particular issue is, we must be honest about it.
God already knows our issues and fears. He longs for us to bring them to Him so we can enter into His rest. God’s rest and peace is unlike anything this world could ever offer us, which is why we must prioritize Him above all.
When things around us seem to be spinning out of control, this must be our sign to refocus.
We must intentionally shift our focus from the chaos and to the One who can bring us peace in the midst of it all.
We so often desire God to remove us from the situation, and sometimes He will. Other times, however, God does not change the situation, He chooses to change us right in the midst of the situation. What a display of power!
God’s ways and thoughts are far above ours [Isaiah 55:8-9]. We never know how He may be using a situation in our lives. This is why we must live our lives by trusting Him, and not
ourselves. Proverbs 3:5 directs us to trust God in all our ways, and for good reason. God knows better than we do.
Consider the man born blind in John 9. The disciples were sure his issue was the result of sin,
but it was not. As the disciples questioned Jesus, attempting to figure out the cause of
blindness, Jesus answered in John 9:3:
“Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made
manifest in him.”
We cannot always easily see the works of God in a situation. We have been called to trust Him, obey Him, and call on Him during our time of need. We never know how God may be using a situation to bring glory unto His name. In verse 11-12, we can see the name of Jesus being proclaimed as this man who was once blind could now see.
The same is true for you and I. God longs to use us as testimonies in a dark and chaotic world.
As His children on earth, it is our duty to pursue peace in Him and then share His goodness with others.
As others observe us and notice a change, they’ll begin to wonder. They’ll wonder how we’re
able to remain so peaceful and calm in the midst of such chaos and uncertainty. They’ll take
note of our walk of faith, and if they gain the courage to ask how we do it, may we have the
courage to share with them the Prince of Peace. | Read another article by the same writer |
The writer is an entrepreneur and author of Break Free and Live! She has a master’s degree in strategic communications from Oklahoma State University and is an adjunct professor at Tulsa Community College.
