- Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
I like to be sure. I like for things to be fool-proof, a guaranteed thing. I want to be supremely confident that things will go exactly as I imagine them going or how it seems it will go. I like to be sure. While this isn’t a bad thing in itself, the problems come when circumstances deviate from my “grand master plan.” If something happens to make me not sure, I may hesitate. If something happens that throws a wrench in how I feel this situation should play out, uncertainty grows and I may fail to act. Maybe you can resonate with me.
I would venture to guess that there are many of you who are like me in this. Being comfortable with the happenings around us is a part of the makeup of many of us and it is mainly because we live in a world filled with uncertainties. These uncertainties can range from where our next meal will come from, to how the bills will be paid, to will the car start in the morning, to will my loved one get well, and the list goes on and on. Living in the midst of these uncertainties can create doubt and distrust that the God we serve is present and active in the midst of these troubling circumstances.
Thankfully, God does not leave us in the midst of our doubts and uncertainties. Thankfully, He operates and acts even despite our doubts and uncertainties. The words written by the Apostle Paul in Philippians speak greatly to this: we need not worry because the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This can be a very difficult thing to do at times because we like to hang on, to be in control, to try and handle things ourselves. But God calls each of us to trust Him at a deeper level, to give Him those uncertainties and doubts that bring us worry and anxiety. He calls us to do this because His very nature is more than enough to handle them for us. He calls us to do this because His very peace will be given to us when we ask Him for it. This is a peace that transcends our entire understanding of peace. This is a peace that keeps us, that relieves us, that protects us. God’s peace is a peace like no other.
As we enter this New Year filled with uncertainties and doubts, may we desire the peace and presence of God to infiltrate our hearts and minds and allow Him to lead us and guide us to a deeper trust in Him. It is because of Christ that we can have hope for our future.
Ben Bigaouette
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