The Calm: Live Each Day in the Calm Amid the Storm Sample

Thoughts and feelings will come like waves on the sea and seek to capsize us. When these thoughts and feelings flood our hearts and minds like water into a boat, we are barely able to stay float.

You may be afraid to face a new day troubled with thoughts and feelings like:

• A strange sense that there is an abominable sea monster lurking beneath the surface, circling and waiting for an opportune moment to emerge from the depths and ruin your day.
• The feeling that since you struggle with anxiety there must be something "wrong" with you. If you were a good Christian you wouldn't have this problem, right? You struggle with the idea that having anxious feelings or thoughts means that you are failing or that you are a failure.
• A subtle dread of what seems to be inevitable and the temptation to do whatever you need to do to avoid dealing with it. This avoidance can take the form of keeping distracted with social media, projects, tasks, to-do lists, shopping, self-medicating, etc.

Jesus taught us that we would have trouble in this world. Each day would have trouble enough of its own. Not only will the world bring us trouble, but we have trouble residing within. Even when we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, our sinful nature remains, and that nature is at enmity with the Spirit of God. So we don't have to go anywhere to find trouble. Trouble is within and without. This is enough to make anyone anxious! Is there any hope?! YES! If you are in Christ, He is in you and you are in Him. Because He lives inside of you, there can be calm within.

The truth of God and His Word is not only our anchor in the storm. In Christ, we can actually find calm in the storm. In Psalm 103 David sets a good example for us as he instructs his soul to praise the LORD and bless His name. He reminds himself who he is and reminds himself not to forget who God is. Although he is aware of his sin and his weakness, rather than fret and worry, we see him worship. We can learn from his example how to train our hearts and minds in the storm. In fact, the way to care for our hearts is by caring for our minds. We must keep our minds fixed on the truth of God's Word. When we do, we will begin to experience the calm of Christ.