THE STORM

Many of us spend numerous hours of the day worrying and fretting over things we have little or no control over. Our stomachs churn, our minds spin, and our hearts hurt. We can’t enjoy a beautiful spring morning, a walk in the park, working at a job we love, or being with the people we love because of the anxiety we are experiencing or the angst we are anticipating. What is it that we are afraid of?

Rather than peacefully walking forward through the day confident in God, resting in His character, trusting in His power, and believing in His Word, we are overcome with worry and fear instead.

Some of us may be so accustomed to feeling this way that we don’t even realize how much it impedes our boldness, our energy, and our focus. We don’t see how much it impacts our earthly relationships and ultimately our relationship with God. We live tossed to and fro by the waves of our flesh which hampers our ability to live fully in the Spirit of Christ and enjoy communion with our heavenly Father each day.

I can hear Jesus lovingly say, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” It was after He said these words to the disciples that “he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”

THE CALM

Can we learn to find calm by faith amidst the waves of sin and the storms of emotion within our hearts? It may seem impossible, but there is hope, and there is comfort to be found. First, know that you are not alone and that this is not any surprise to your Lord. He is with you in it all, and He loves you. Second, know that you are not a failure in His sight because you struggle with this. It is an age-old challenge for all of God’s people. Even the great. The Lord told Joshua, a valiant leader in Israel who followed the Lord fully, to not be afraid. Finally, remember that with Christ nothing is impossible. He is able. When we understand that we are weak and learn how to look to Christ and cling to Him, we will begin to experience Christ as our calm.