Episode #354 The Peace You Don’t Have to Produce – Real Peace, Secure Faith

Hey, friend. What if anxious thoughts don't get the final say in your head?

I'm someone who struggles with anxiety. My mind can spiral into worst case scenarios and really unhelpful what ifs. And I'm not talking here about clinical anxiety. I believe in mental health care. I believe in getting support to help you live a full, vibrant life. But what I'm talking about today is when peace and anxiety show up in our brains at the same time, and sometimes coping skills just aren't enough.

We hear all throughout scripture that God's peace is made available to us. Peace beyond understanding. Jesus is our Prince of Peace, and he carries peace with him wherever he goes. And so the topic that we're taking into conversation with God today is when we struggle to overcome anxiety, even knowing those things about who God is and the peace that he offers us.

And the encouragement that I wanna share with you is that the peace that God gives us isn't something that we have to achieve on our own because we can't. It's not something that you and I have to produce. It's something that in Christ has already won the right to govern your heart.

I'm gonna read for us from Colossians chapter 3, and I'm gonna start up a few verses from our core verse today, verse 15, beginning in verse 12. And it talks about how we are to live as God's chosen people. Described in verse 12, “God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved” because you are God's kid, because in Christ you are made holy, because you are already dearly loved. We get to live according to the whole of scripture, including Colossians chapter 3.

And then in verse 15 it says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Since as members of one body, you are called to peace and be thankful.”

Now, this word “rule” here, the peace of Christ that can rule in your heart. this means to act as an umpire. The peace of Christ gets to make the call. So when anxiety and peace both show up, Christ's peace is the umpire that says we are going this way. Peace has the right of way here. Peace is what can rule.

We are called to live from this identity and who we are in Christ. And we can be thankful for so many reasons, including the reality that Christ's peace surpasses our understanding. That Jesus is our Prince of Peace and he does carry peace with him wherever he goes. And his peace is the kind that can rule in our hearts, not what we have to produce on our own, beyond what we can manage or manufacture.

And so there comes to be times as we go through hard things in life that coping skills just aren't enough. And I'm so grateful that God's peace is beyond understanding. Because sometimes when anxiety springs up for us and seems to push against our peace and our ability to withstand it, it's because we don't know what to do. We don't know how to advise our loved ones. We don't know what call to make. We don't know what path to take, and anxiety can rise up when we are faced with the fact that circumstances are outside of our control. But we can receive peace even then from our God who dearly loves us.

Even when all of the ways that we've practiced managing or lessening anxiety just don't meet the need that we currently have. But as those who are dearly loved by God, he has given us already what we need. And it's peace beyond what we can come up with on our own.

And so I encourage you today, take this conversation to the Lord and talk with him more about it, especially if anxious thoughts keep trying to claim their unrightful rule in your heart as you're going through hard things in this season.

Here's a question that you can take to God to hear more of what he would share with you:

God, where are you inviting me to let your peace make the call instead of anxiety?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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