STARVEDSample

Starved for Peace

One of anxiety’s favorite tricks to play on me is waking me up in the middle of the night about an upcoming moment or an uncertain outcome. It’s the racing heart. The sweaty palms. Sometimes I can’t even name what I am afraid of—I just feel afraid.

The word for anxiety in Greek means to be torn apart or divided. We feel “torn up” about something we are worried about. It’s as if I am in the present, but my mind is being pulled into the future or the past. Or I am in my house, but my mind is torn away from my house and is worrying about my kids who are at school or out with friends.

Which is why the description of peace in the Bible is so healing to me. The Greek word for peace means to bind up that which has been separated or torn. God’s desire is for us to allow His peace to keep us present, in one spot, right where our feet are. God’s peace is called a defender or a guard—keeping us wrapped in the present. God’s peace keeps us in one piece.

God’s peace comes when we trade our worry for trusting His sovereignty.

Trading our worry for trusting God’s control sounds so lovely, doesn’t it? But how do we live wrapped in peace, guarded by God’s ability to hold the world together? How do we walk through anxiety to get to peace?

We practice allowing peace in.

For me, I have to recite what the Kingdom of God is like. This is how I do that:

• I practice remembering God is enough and will give me what I need if my worst fear is realized.
• I practice remembering that Jesus—His face dripping with blood-sweat at the anticipation and anxiety of the Cross to come—walked through worry and fear just like us.
• I practice remembering God is a Good Shepherd, and I get to be a precious sheep.
• I practice remembering that God loves a good resurrection after a dark crucifixion.

And when I remember those truths, peace comes.

But what if anxiety creeps back in a few minutes later? I practice remembering those truths again. And again. And again. This is one way I practice peace.

Let’s close with this breath prayer:

Exhale: I feel out of control . . .

Inhale: . . . I am wrapped by peace.