Peace in Chaos
CHRIST IN TRAINING
Ella
6/3/20263 min read
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe." (Prov 18:10) A very bold claim when you're the sovereign Lord of a universe constantly filled with individuals and circumstances that keep it UNSAFE. Yet when God speaks, we listen because his word is tested and true, time and time again.
It wasn't until I accepted this fact that I was able to place side by side the link between my inability to post consistently on my blog and the fact that it's easier to speak French among strangers. I felt unsafe amid the potential judgment of those who knew me; there was a nagging need to perform and not to feel incapable of excellence, even though I was trying out for the first time. I want to get it right the first time, no room for failure in this Barbie's mind. So the possibility of failure became synonymous with DANGER, and guess what? That made it much worse. I would stutter mid-sentence, quickly switch back to English, and try to talk myself into shutting down this blog.
As usual, once this wave passes (It ALWAYS does), I see how silly I'm being, but sometimes it's a little too late. I might have already had the argument, lost a deal, blocked the person or given up altogether. For such an unsettling problem that could change the trajectory of anyone's life and destiny, a remedy within scripture must be found.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known" Philippians 4:6
See how simple that verse is? That's actually all it takes to turn moments of inner chaos into peace. Let's break it down
i. "Be anxious for nothing" - Remind ourselves of God's command (It is not a suggestion)
ii "But in everything" - Not in small things, or big things, or things we think are good enough to bring
iii. "By prayer and supplication" - Pretty clear, yes, God knows our hearts, but he still wants to hear it from us. Be bold! ASK!
iv. "With thanksgiving" - Be honest, how many times have we chosen nagging over thanking? I saw a quote that described glimmer as the opposite of trigger, and I think that sums it all up. Constantly searching for the good in every situation, constantly giving God praise for being a Good God, that's all we're made to be, in a constant state of praise.
v. "Let your requests be made known to God" - On first read, one may interpret this as a given; of course, it's God who we're praying to. Beloved, you must also make your requests known to yourself. Reflect, ponder, what is it you truly seek? You may be stunned to find that your wants do not align with what your heart needs. Your want for a car might just be a request for reliable transportation (which could be met by a new neighbour), or maybe your want for chocolate might be a need for endorphins, which a fellowship night surrounded by your brethren in Christ can definitely provide.
Fittingly, the next verse in Philippians 4 reads " and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"
When the human mind reads danger, the nervous system encourages defence; we see outbursts of wrath or even a total body shutdown, excessive stress from overthinking and analysing, and decisions fuelled by adrenaline. All of which goes against the intended biology of humankind. YOU ARE NOT CREATED TO LIVE IN FEAR, whether fear of judgment, fear of failure or even fear of death (the most inevitable). To combat this, we must look to Jesus and let the peace of God guard our hearts and minds, the most deadly battlefields in our lives, for every victory or defeat starts within.