I’ve noticed that everyone seems to be desperately seeking peace as well as trying different things to relieve ourselves from anxiety and stress. Sometimes I find myself wondering if it’s bad for us, as Christians, to experience anxiety. In these days, with everything that has been happening, like the pandemic and so on, I believe there is more anxiety than ever. We are always on social media, reading the news, or maybe just watching different people on Instagram comparing ourselves with them, and yet, we wonder why we have anxiety or depression…
But one thing is clear, we cannot talk about anxiety before we understand what having PEACE truly means.
In the dictionary it says that peace means to have freedom from disturbance; tranquility; or to be in silence. We think that peace is like watching the sunrise or the sunset or lying on the beach with a Margarita in one hand, but when the Bible talks about peace it’s different. I would describe it like a waterfall. The water goes down beautifully but very strongly, and in the middle of the waterfall the water can get stuck between the rocks: there is a pause, then it continues to flow. The peace that passes our understanding is more like resting in the middle of a storm.
So, we gotta stop seeking the peace that the world brings. Only God can bring you an inexplicable peace.
Peace is not a temporary escape. It’s not just having everything that you like, it’s not comfortably watching Netflix, or being in a relationship that doesn't build your life.
Then the question is…. What are you taking as an escape and think it’s peace?
It may be food, a broken relationship, a fitness obsession, watching pornography, scrolling, games, anything that you think brings you peace but is actually an escape from reality. Until we understand that peace is only found in GOD, we will continue to look for momentary escapes that will only bring us a kind of tranquility. Having the real peace doesn’t mean that we will stop having problems or stressful situations. The Bible says, in John 16:33, that we are going to have a lot of issues and difficulties; you’re going to be hurt, but hold on, because God has already won. God is warning you that your life is not going to be easy and tells you to calm down and have peace! When you accept God you not only accept blessings, but you also accept that by following God you will have a life full of attacks and struggles. Then…why do we Christians act as if we don’t know? Like we weren’t warned? God promises us peace, not the absence of pressure. You will always be disappointed with God and anxious, if you keep thinking that your life with God will be free of worries.Being under pressure does not mean that you won’t have peace in the middle of it. Actually, the only way to know that you have found true peace, is being in the middle of complicated situations.
Peace does not get you out of your storm, but it will help you see clearly and identify the real problem so you can correct it.
It’s like when you’re in the gym. You’re lying down lifting a bar that’s so easy you could do it all day... but when your trainer starts adding some little weights to the sides, it becomes more difficult to lift. As he keeps adding, eventually it gets so heavy that you can no longer lift it at all. It happens exactly like that with our lives. Life starts putting on weights of different sizes: such as losing your job, or that you are still single, or maybe that you haven’t been able to finish your career, or that you’re always late for work; little things that take away your peace, little by little. Then you get your shirt dirty on the subway or you lose your savings in a bad investment. The pressure builds, maybe a tragedy comes, or you get sick. Then, you try to get up with that bar full of many little weights...and obviously the anxiety comes. You’re shaking, trying to lift it up, trying to get through it, but that’s the moment when you can choose peace. It’s then when God can come to help you lift, help you focus and bring you peace; just like the coach at the gym that comes and helps you to lift the bar.
What weights do you have in this season?
How can you change your “what if” for an “even if”?
You can’t control if more weight will come on your bar and you don’t have any idea what is going to come tomorrow...
The only way to cope with the pressure of life is by accepting that our peace, in the middle of the storm, can only come through the Holy Spirit in our lives. You will never find peace in money, in business, in a relationship, in having children, or in your work. It’s time to stop settling for momentary escapes and truly live your life with the power of the Spirit! True peace is knowing that you will never need to go through any situation on your own again. Anything may come, but you will never be alone. Even in the worst, the saddest, right in the midst of it, you will not be alone. Then when you try to lift that weight, it’s going to be easier because God is right there with you. It will bring joy and will give you the confidence to go on and face life...
The first step to not having anxiety is not counseling, it is not to go to the psychologist, it is not to go on vacation, it is not to give up, and it is not to look for your momentary escape... it is PRAYING.
Maybe you don’t know how to pray, then let me make it easier for you:
1. Pray honestly
God cannot heal whoever you are pretending to be...
When you’re honest with God your anxiety will go.
2. Pray with faith
Many times, the miracles that we don’t receive are because we never asked God for them.
Have you talked to God about what brings you anxiety?
3.Pray “help” prayers.
Your life will be full of situations where you will need help. Remember to ask for it in the middle of those situations.
Seek peace! It’s not magic, and God won’t give to you what you don’t ask for. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to communicate. Tell him you need His help. With peace you can have confidence. You can walk with confidence in your life because you aren’t expected to carry this all by yourself.