Peace in the Pause

There are many times when we are faced with situations that leave us feeling as if we are walking in the unknown. How can we stay calm when we walk through those times in life?

This life isn't always an easy walk. Yes, there are plenty of times that everything is going well and it all seems easy. But that's not always the case... There are the other parts of life, too. The hard parts. The scary parts. The unknown parts. Everything can't always fall perfectly into place - even if we're Christians. I know you might be wondering, "Doesn't God work everything for our good?" My answer to that is yes. However, He works things for our good in His perfect timing. And sometimes, God's good is different from our idea of good. Like last year for instance - I was waiting to hear from a new job that seemed better than the one I was currently working at. Surely since it seemed God had orchestrated that interview, I would get the job. Right? Guess again. I was left waiting and wondering the whole summer only to find that I was staying at the job I already had. It didn't seem good to me. But a few months later, a new position had opened up and I was able to take it. There's God's good in His perfect timing. Sometimes, this life asks a lot out of us.

The Bible reminds us in John 16:33 that we will face trials in this world. This passage took place before Jesus had died on the cross. He was talking to the disciples, trying to prepare them for what was about to happen. His words to them, "Take heart for I have overcome the world," ring true to our lives even now. Life can be hard. Certain situations can just leave us feeling defeated at times. Even though Jesus spoke those words for the disciples all those years ago, I believe He meant for them to carry a strong meaning for us today, too. Take heart. God doesn't want us to feel bogged down by everything we face. He wants us to give it all to Him. He has overcome the world. Not even death could stop Jesus from dying for us. He died so we could live on with Him in heaven forever. Worry free.

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." 1 Peter 5:7

When things start to get unpredictable, it's easy to start worrying. Back to last summer... I had gone for a job interview one morning before I had to go to my current job. I remember feeling a little worried about what would come out of the interview, yet excited for a chance at a new start. But going a month without even hearing that the job had contacted any of my references? That was hard. By the end of the summer, I had given up on the hope of getting a new job. But that wasn't the end of that story. I decided I had taken matters into my own hands for too long. I prayed, gave my situation to God, and played plenty of worship music. I still didn't know what the outcome of this new job would be, but I did know that I was in good hands. Even though I never did hear back from that school I interviewed at, I did end up better off than I had started. In December, I started a new position at the same place I had been working that is better than what I had started with. God worked the whole situation in a way I would have never imagined, but that's because He works in ways that we could never imagine. God can't be predictable. How could we keep our faith in Him if we knew exactly how He would work or what He would do? Simply put - we wouldn't feel the need to.

Did you know that there were characters throughout the Bible that worried? Moses worried about his ability to lead the Israelites. Hannah worried about her ability to conceive a child. Peter had a history of worrying. I know, they all seemed to pan out as pretty successful people. Do you know how they were able to do so? They trusted in God. They talked to Him and listened to what He had to say in response. It wasn't easy for them. Just like it isn't always easy for us. I'm sure you can think of at least one time you were walking down a difficult road. One that left you feeling uncertain. Maybe it's happening right now. There were probably a lot of questions going through your mind. Maybe wondering why God has allowed some things to happen. It can be hard to remember that God is working in your life sometimes. But, He will remind you He's there in ways that only He can...

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27

I'm going to be honest with you guys for a minute here. I was feeling really anxious the other day. I'm currently in a season of transition, and I'm still having trouble seeing how everything fits into place sometimes. I was sitting on my couch trying pray when God simply told me, "Peace I leave with you." I thought it sounded like a Bible verse, but I couldn't remember where it was in the Bible. After a quick Google search, I found the verse featured above. It was an eye opener for me. God gives us His peace as a gift. It's just like a birthday present. We don't do anything to earn our birthday presents. Our friends and family just give them to us out of love. God gives us His peace out of love, and we don't have to do anything to earn it. We can just say a quick prayer and ask Him to help us. Being the loving Father that He is, God will not hesitate to give us His peace to help us as we walk through whatever we're facing. He is always for us. God doesn't want to watch us fail or mess up. He's cheering for us. He wants to see us succeed and reach the potential that He has planned for us. It can be so easy to sit and worry about your current situation. It might even seem easier to try taking matters into your own hands. In reality, you'll find yourself sitting and worrying yourself way too much while also trying to solve problems that are too complex for you to solve. The easy solution? Stop and pray. Give it all to God.

It's no secret that one of my favorite passages is Philippians 4:6-7. If you've been around my blog for any period of time, you'll see that I reference to it a lot. That's because I like to remind myself of the message this passage shares. Don't worry about anything, pray about everything. It's so easy to flip that around. Worry about everything, don't pray about anything - or don't pray as much as you should be. But what happens when you flip the advice of the passage? Everything falls apart. It's imperative that we follow the advice of this passage. It even tells you what you'll receive if you follow the advice. God's perfect peace. That's all we need. Even if you're still uncertain about your situation, you will at least know that God is holding your world in His hands. And with those odds? Nothing can go wrong. Even if it seems like it is. Trust God's perfect timing. He knows exactly what's happening and how the pieces will all fall into place. All we can do is trust His plan and the path that He's paving for us. Pray, give everything to God, and see where He leads you.