Wouldn't it be amazing if we could honestly say "All I have is you, Father. Yes, I do have other things but that is only what they are-things. They are not going to heaven with me so it is not important and I can have total peace knowing that you are in control."
Peace. Wow, when is the last time you've had total peace?
Proverbs 12:25a: An anxious heart weighs a man down...
The opposite of peace is anxiety. And yes, someone who is anxious will have a worn down heart. Why do we have anxiety anyways? And for some reason we will put anxiety on ourselves. For example, I used to always obsess over grades. If it wasn't a high A I would get frustrated or say that I could have done better. Everyone in my classes did it, too. We would convince ourselves that we failed a test and then get the test back and see that it was a good grade. And I would always be frustrated with anything other than an A. Why did I put that anxiety on myself? Because, honestly, everyone else did it and I always felt so much better when I would see a good grade. During last year, God really spoke to me about putting my grades above Him and now I can have total peace that whatever my grade is, it doesn't matter because God has a plan for my life and I worked hard for that grade. His will is always the best.
Proverbs 12:20b: (There is) joy for those who promote peace.
The weird thing is, is that we love anxiety because it gives us adrenaline and a rush, but once someone feels total peace, it is always desirable to go back, for God is the one who gives us peace and joy comes from that. I was at a mission trip this past week called Student Life and during praise and worship. I was worrying about silly things and it was hard to concentrate. Once the worship leader started singing Forever Reign and came to the part where it says "Oh, I'm running to Your arms" I pictured myself running into Jesus' arms, not worrying about anything else but being excited that I will be able to see Him and run to Him. As I was picturing that, God gave me total peace about all the little things that were stressing me out and I felt so much joy. I can't even explain to you how amazing the feeling was. How do we get to that point where we promote peace and be joyful from that?
_________________________________________________________
If you haven't noticed the answer in the stories I've told, I was able to get total peace from looking to God and knowing that He has it under control. We don't need to worry about school, a job, or anything else because God has an amazing plan for our lives and if we follow Him and love Him, he will do the rest. It's so easy to be anxious because everyone else is. But this anxiety is an amazing tactic for Satan. You see, if you are worrying about other things, you have less time to think about God and do amazing things through Him and you won't have that amazing peace that comes from that. It is hard, I know, to take the anxiety away, but that's the time when we need to pray and ask God to help us, and remember that God knows what He is doing.
Philippians 4:6-7: 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.
