Tag: Christian inspiration

A Piece of Mind vs A Peace of Mind

In a world where everyone wants to give you a piece of their mind, I know One who wants to give you peace of mind.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28,29

Ever been so stressed that you toss and turn at night? Even in sleep, you can’t rest and your body outwardly expresses in unsatisfied movement the turmoil that you feel in your soul. Your soul consists of your mind (thoughts), your will and your emotions. When your soul isn’t restful, neither can your body rest. We have all been there, when you wake up tired in the morning because your body didn’t sleep peacefully but struggled to get rest during the night.

Personally, I’ve never lived in a time that is more unrestful than now. We are constantly told to be vigilant against something we cannot see and we are bombarded with images intended to place pressure on the world population.To add further stress, we are made to feel personally responsible for all that is wrong in the world.

Sound familiar? So when we cannot rest at work, rest at school, rest in our daily routine (which is constantly changing) or rest at home, where do we go for true rest? Many would turn to their regular means of coping with the circumstance around them. Let’s think about this for a moment. If your habitual way of finding rest is to eat (comfort food), or to drink (alcohol), or to escape through drugs (whether illicit or pharmaceutical), these things are harmful for you when done habitually and will cause you greater stress and anxiety. Even exercise, reading, playing a game, or working a puzzle, will only be a temporary reprieve because while you are ‘actively’ engaging in these things, you are not at rest.

I’ll ask you again, where do we go for true rest?

Do you know that the Bible deals with this exact question? God knew that the fall of mankind and subsequent separation from Him would rob us of peace because perfect peace is only found in Him. The book of Proverbs (3:5,6) in the Bible gives us instructions for how to have peace.

It says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart (all that you are). Don’t lean on your own understanding (of what is happening) but in every thing, look to and acknowledge Him (God, you know what I don’t know) and He will direct your path (show you what to do).” (Emphasis is mine.)

When we follow this instruction, it immediately gets our focus off of what is negative and our thoughts, will and emotions lift because we don’t have to sort through the plethora of information being thrown at us. Instead, we look to the One who KNOWS what is happening and we lean on Him, not on our own ability, strength or understanding.

Then what? Understanding this principle helps us get in a place of peace but we cannot maintain it for long by ourselves. Let’s look at another passage from the Bible. Philippians 4:6,7 gives us the second half of this spiritual principle of trusting God and finding perfect peace in Him. It tells us,  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Why Jesus Christ? Because it is through Him that we are reconciled and put back into relationship with God rather than being separated from Him. The confidence in the perfect peace we receive from God is that Jesus has overcome and through Him, we can, too. When your assurance is in Him, nothing the world can throw at you will get you out of that peace. It will guard your heart and mind from the harsh brokenness of the world, so that you can rest.

We maintain this rest by maintaining our connection to Jesus Christ. How? Through prayer. When we pray, we are simply talking to God. There is no formula or rules that apply. You talk to others about your concerns all the time. You even talk to yourself about what concerns you. Yet people think it is crazy to talk to God even though He invites us in His Word to come to Him with our worries and cares. The Amplified Bible puts it this way in 1 Peter 5:7; “casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” Wow! Do you hear this language? It’s personal. He cares for YOU.

My friend, there is nothing like the confidence and assurance you get in having a relationship with God. You may not know Him, but He knows you. You may not love Him, but He loves you. Talk to Him and you will find He is with you. You don’t have to be consumed with anxiety. If you allow Him, He will keep you in perfect peace as you set your attention on Him. (Isaiah 26:3) This has proved out in my own life.

Until next time, thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I pray these thoughts encourage and inspire you.

Rachel

Still Standing

Photo credit: 206374699 © Mikhail Kaminskiy – Dreamstime.com

“When the rains fell, and the flood came, with fierce winds beating against the house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.”

Matthew 7:25

In uncertain times, we turn to the things which are foundational in our life to give us stability and hope. In times when unexpected and sudden changes happen to our world, we often find the things we daily cling to and surround ourselves with stripped away. When this happens, we either fall away also or hold fast to that which is deeper, stronger and more sure than we are ourselves.

2020 was a year that shook the world’s population in many ways. Not just the threat of the pandemic but the threat of losing our civil liberties as well. For some of the world, this was already a way of life. However, in most developed countries this was new. For many, it felt like our world and everything we knew was being shaken and tossed around, even torn away. We fought to maintain a sense of freedom and well-being. Every time we thought we had an ‘understanding’ about a situation, the situation changed again. 

These constant changes and disruptions to our lives began to cause us to look deeper, to determine what is truly important and identify what we cannot live without. The answers to that are as diverse as humanity is.  Many looked to their loved ones and held them close, others quickly worked to secure their financial well-being, while sadly others hoarded everything they could get their hands on in fear of not having enough. 

For us personally, our world changed dramatically. It felt like it came to a screeching stop since the bulk of what we do is travel (domestically and abroad), and be with people in large groups (indoors and outdoors). Suddenly what was ‘normal’ to us was stripped away and everything was different, forcing us to do life and ministry in a new way. These are the moments we cling to our foundation, to what is sure and unchanging. In the midst of the shaking and tossing, we stood firm in our belief that God loves us (1 John 4:19). God was with us (Psalm 145:18,19). He would not leave us or forsake us (Deut 31:6). He would protect us (Psalm 91:4). And He will provide for us (Phil 4:19). He was and is faithful to us and our children in all these ways. 

When you have a foundation of knowing the One who formed the worlds, who pulled you from the miry clay (Psalm 40:2) and set you upon a rock (Matthew 16:18), you will be safe in a world that is not. You will be secure in a world that is experiencing upheaval. You will have faith in a world ruled by fear. 

My friend, as we enter this new year, the storm may not be over. The changes and unexpected challenges are likely to continue. I pray that you will have a strong foundation in the One Who loves you most. He gave all when His Son came, died, and rose again so that you can know Him for yourself, without the separation of sin. He wants to show Himself strong in your life and hold you through the storm. I pray you will allow Him to be your foundation.

Love and blessing to you friend!

Rachel

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

Jeremiah 17:8