If you’ve paid any attention to the news lately, you know that the world seems upside-down and backwards. Everything is falling apart, and nothing quite makes sense. Not only that, our lives seem to be filled with chaos, at least mine is. Just in the last few weeks, I’ve had health issues, a death in the family, along with interpersonal and faith struggles I wasn’t prepared for.

STOP! That’s what I’ve wanted to say over and over the past few weeks. I just need a minute to catch up and find a sincere moment with Jesus that’s not crowded by thoughts, noise, or stress. Does this sound familiar?

If so, it’s a perfect time to take a closer look at this week’s fruit of the Spirit… peace.

We sometimes picture peace as a quiet, tranquil moment or a picturesque scene in nature with sunshine and singing birds. While those moments are beautiful, peace can also look like relying on God in a new way when you’re in the middle of a battle. Worshiping God even when you want to worry or praising God even when you’re in pain. Sometimes it looks like trusting God even when He hasn’t answered your prayer yet.

I’m in the process of making a big decision about my career; what I will do next and where I will live. I have a certain timeline to figure it all out because I need to give an answer to a possible employer in a week. Usually, I would be hitting the panic button and bursting at the seams from the pressure and worry, but this time I’ve been able to worship and spend time in the presence of God. I feel a certain confidence that the same God who created everything out of nothing can definitely answer my prayers and provide the job that’s just right for me. In the process of making this decision, God has given me a stronger faith and assurance in Him, and that definitely leads to peace. Even when we don’t know the outcome, we know that the God who holds the universe in His hands also holds us and cares for us.

So how do we find this peace that’s more than quiet moments and nature walks? (Although those are great too.) Isaiah 26:3-4 gives us a good first step:

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you. Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal rock.”

We can find peace when we trust in the Lord, the eternal rock. He is always faithful, never leaving, never changing, powerful, strong, mighty, wise, and He takes the time to care about the needs of each and every one of us. That brings me peace. Instead of looking at the chaos of the world, let’s fix our eyes on God, our rock, our hiding place, our ever-present help.  

Katelyn