Nurturing Peace in Chaotic Times
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. ”
When strangers find out you are a pastor, they think nothing of coming up to you and starting conversations. Over the years, several people have approached me and said they either stopped going to church or refused to consider Christianity because the people they’ve seen who profess faith in Christ are so unhappy and uncaring. I reply saying that professing faith in God doesn’t mean you are perfect or even better than non-Christian individuals. Living the faith is a process of imperfect people following God and trying to improve. We never arrive but keep trying to improve our relationship with God.
While I have trouble with the article’s title, I do appreciate the author’s recommendations. The article is entitled “People Who Are Completely At Peace With Themselves Generally Show These 6 Behaviors.” I do not agree with the word “completely.” We humans, by our very definition, mean we are not completely anything. Yet that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek to nurture inner peace. I do not have space in a devotion to evaluate all six of the author’s recommendations to experience peace, but I will focus on two.
First, people who strive for peace “Don’t get worked up over trivial matters.” The minute I read that recommendation, I was sure the author knew me personally. When I feel a situation could become conflictual, I plan healthier options, but too often, planning leads to obsessing. When I begin to feel a plan become obsessive, I consciously remind myself to hand the issue over to God and trust God to bring a healthy response. Simply reminding myself that trust is my first priority in my relationship with God calms my restless heart.
The second recommendation the author provides is that people who seek peace “Cultivate mindfulness.” In our busy lives, it's hard enough, and then you add social media’s addictive push, and prayerful mindfulness feels like an impossible demand. Yet when we take a moment of quiet focus and offer God our gratitude, life begins to reshape, and peace begins to peek through the haze. Take charge of your time. For some of us, whose children are grown, time is more available, but even after the kids go to bed, you should try to take fifteen minutes at the end of the day. Intentionally sit and focus. In time, we will feel God’s peace fill our souls, and others will feel that same peace in their hearts.
