Finding Peace in the Middle of AnxietySample

Jesus Gives Us His Peace

We all want the peace Jesus promises, don’t we? Especially now. We all have too much to handle on our own in this life.

Overwhelming emotions and high-stress situations threaten to drain our energy and leave us empty. In our hurry to find relief, we do what I did this morning. We look for the peace the world gives—even though we know it isn’t a real thing. Searching Google, shopping online, and mindlessly scrolling through social media often just makes us more anxious.

When we remember to open our Bibles to look for peace, we can read beautiful psalms, letters of encouragement, and stories about Jesus that reassure us of his love and care.

But today I found myself in Revelation. This is a book I haven’t spent much time in, and it’s definitely not one that I would expect to bring me peace. To be sure, there is so much hope and victory in this wrap-up of the Bible, but the descriptions of the end-time and tribulation confuse me. The letters to the seven churches make me nervous about my own rebellious ways. Visions of unusual animals and bright lights and loud noises—it all feels like too much for my anxious soul.

I imagine shrinking into the crowd before the throne of God and feel- ing lost, unnoticed, and terrified.

Until I read this:

For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them; he will guide them to springs of the waters of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Rev. 7:17)

That sounds like the kind of peace we need right now.

“The Lamb . . . at the center.”—Jesus represents gentleness and calm in the midst of the overwhelming majesty and awesome power of God’s throne. Won’t he also come gently to us in the middle of our stress, our pain, our fears today?

“Shepherd . . . will guide them.”—With wisdom and protection, Jesus will lead his sheep to what they need. Won’t he compassionately lead us to a peaceful place to calm and strengthen our souls right now?

“Springs of the waters of life.”—He offers his children living water, inviting them to experience ever deeper the refreshment of closeness to him. Can we let him nourish and sustain us through whatever we are facing in this moment?

“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”—Every tear. The tears held back when it isn’t okay to cry, the ones that unexpectedly spill down stinging cheeks, and the ones that soak silently into pillows in the middle of the night.

Can we picture him gently wiping our tears away and holding us close through our hardest times?

“Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful,” he tells us. He will help us now, and he will give us his peace forever.