Peace in Distressing Times
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
I believe a lot of people leave the Christian faith because they cannot find that elusive thing called God’s peace. Even the mundane daily tasks can add up and leave us overwhelmed and frustrated. I came across a sadly funny TikTok video of a young woman sharing her frustration a few months after accepting her first job after college. With crocodile tears, she laments her new life or lack thereof. She describes having to be at work by 8:00 AM, and with a commute, she isn’t home until 6:15 PM, and then she must make dinner. She didn’t realize that working would leave her “without a life.”
It was easy to laugh at this person’s naïve cluelessness. She has an excellent job with significant pay and keeps a roof over her head and the creditors away from the door. Her expectations of life require a change. A writer, who calls herself Conceivably Me, wrote an article entitled “The Art of Letting Go.” The writer confirms, “We often hold on to things and feelings longer than we should.” When we enter a time of transformation, we must relinquish our former expectations and feelings and reset our desires. The writer describes being “Shaken to My Core-Eyes Open and Mindful.” We must be open and mindful of change while resetting our desires.
God guides us through the transitional moments of life by “Learning to Let Go.” I use Conceivably Me’s words to describe how God works through life’s challenging moments. After God makes our eyes open and mindful, we are not confused. God provides the lessons necessary for “Learning to Let Go.” God does not want us to waste valuable time obsessing over perceived wrongs and other soul-crushing thoughts. The writer believes in flipping the script to, “I choose to be content in spite of my hardships.” Only you and God can change the script and embrace peace.
Finding our peace means recognizing that “We are all works in progress, aren’t we?” We realize our peace when we let go of perfection. The “Good news” of the gospel is that only God is perfect, and God doesn’t expect us to be a perfect god, but a humble servant. Progress is all we can expect, with eyes wide open to the glory of God and the blessing of knowing who we are in God’s grand scheme of life. The greater God is, the less we need to struggle and the better we are to let go and experience God’s peace.