Start Where You AreSample

Peace 

Everywhere I go, I can’t help but notice that people are riddled by anxiety. I watch them and remember the years I spent frantically trying and failing to find peace. I hated that I didn’t have the power to make my life more peaceful. Have you ever asked, Where is the peace I’ve been promised in the Lord?

The voice of God calls our name in the midst of our anxiety. He says, “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live” (Isaiah 55:3). I think the “ear” the Bible is talking about is the heart. God is calling out to us, offering a path to peace, but we can’t hear Him if our hearts are not inclined to His voice.

Start with your anxiety. Come Up to God with everything—including the way you feel, especially when you feel anxious. Acknowledge the chaos around you but allow your heart to rest for a few moments and listen for the voice of Jesus. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

To have real peace, I needed to Go In to God in prayer. I wasn’t going to do that as long as I was following my own heart—I needed to follow His. Once I finally escaped Los Angeles, came back home to Oklahoma, and started following after the Lord, He revealed a very important truth to me: my life isn’t about me, it’s about God and the work of His kingdom. As long as we only chase our hearts’ desires and build our own micro-kingdoms, we remain hollow inside.

But Scripture tells us, “Those who trust in themselves are fools” (Proverbs 28:26). Instead, we are told it is far better to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (3:5).

Don’t follow your heart. No matter what your dream is, it’s not big enough to fill God’s dream for your life. We must cast our crowns at His feet and surrender our castle for His kingdom. That’s Going In. That’s trading anxiety for peace.

Today I face the world with abiding joy because I’m not following my heart—I’m following God’s desire for my heart. Big difference! I find meaning and purpose each day regardless of how I’m feeling. I’m part of something bigger now. 

Jesus doesn’t only bring us peace but is our peace. Today, when you feel anxious, take a minute to pray before you try anything else.