Don’t Be Anxious, Be At Peace

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘<Jesus said to His disciples,> “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”’ (John 16:33); ‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.’ (Colossians 3:15)

Things seem to be piling up, thanks to the news.  There are reports of an escalation of hostilities coming to the Middle East; the riots throughout Europe seem to be dissipating, and the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine appears to have once again slipped back into missiles fired at each other.  The mid-term elections, with the polls seemingly all over the spectrum in predictions, are building to their crescendos on Tuesday, Election Day.

In addition, the political intrigue, scandals, investigations, the economy, rising gas prices, availability of goods, and other ‘breaking news’, such as warnings for people to be prepared, have some on edge.  We then lay on top of that our own personal issues, such as health issues, financial woes, and family frictions.  It’s enough to make people anxious and nervous. 

This was recently exemplified by the man who was stocking frozen food in a superstore’s grocery department late in the evening, when a young man came up and asked the man for the time.  The man graciously took out his smartphone and read off the clock when the young man, a social media influencer, took out his phone, flashed the screen, and stated that he took twenty dollars from the stocker’s bank account.

The stocker became quite upset, and though the young influencer told him it was a ‘joke’ for ‘clicks’, the man unloaded much of his pent-up anxiety on the jokester, as he was working long hours to try to pay the bills, with money he did not have.  He let out that he would be repeating this the next day, having to get up early in the morning to stock the next ten stores on his route.  His four children were already in bed and had not seen him that day, sleeping in a home that he struggled to make the mortgage payments to keep it.  He became more anxious as he believed he would now be fired, or the store he was stocking would have him removed.

While this story has a good resolution (the video went ‘viral’, his company did not fire him but publicly defended him, and a crowdfunding site was set up to help cover his mortgage), the man’s outburst was a result of this anxiety and worry he had stored up within him.  Many of us have these concerns that we hold within us, and while we contain them rather securely, we never know when or what will be that straw that will break the dam holding these feelings back.

If it is a dam of our own creation, it will at some point break, as this man’s anxiety dam did.  But for us who are Believers, we are told by Jesus in John 16 of the upcoming tribulations He and His disciples would face, of His impending arrest and execution and the scattering of the disciples in fear of following Jesus in detainment, torture, and death.

It is not only the tribulations directly faced by the disciples of Jesus’ time, but it is also the Tribulation of the End Times Jesus warns us of in Revelation that we can become anxious over.  The Judgements that will be rendered out upon an unrepented global population, and the persecution of the Church and its remnant are indeed terrifying, if we don’t take into account Jesus’ assurance given to us in John 16:33.

Jesus warns of these tribulations coming, but tells his disciples, including us who Believe and have Faith, that He has overcome the evil and sin of this world, and thus through Him we shall have peace.  Paul tells us in Colossians 3:15 reminds us that we need to be thankful for this peace that we as members of the Church to hold onto, and tap into when we have troubles.

We are to look at the animals that we see, the birds and the squirrels, and understand that they don’t worry about their next meal as God provides for them, and since we are of the highest plane upon the list of God’s creation pecking order, that He will take care of us as well (Matthew 6:26).  Jesus states that He will carry our burdens, those troubles that weigh upon us, so we can be at peace (Philippians 4:6-7), and replace our burdens with His ‘yoke of peace’ (Matthew 11:28-30).

Our anxieties are often caused by fear of the unknown, of the future that, in our mortal sense, we cannot accurately predict.  However, God is timeless and is ‘then, now, and forevermore’, all at once, as so He knows and has control of what lies ahead of us.  He also has provided us the community of Believers that is the Church, the Fellowship we belong to that is in place to share our burdens and our blessings (Galatians 6:2).  If you have troubles, don’t be afraid to share them with the members of your fellowship; often the Fellowship will come together to help and provide for the needs of the one if at all possible.

There may be things of a personal nature that one may not want to share, out of shame or embarrassment.  The good news is Jesus is only a prayer away, and He takes all calls anytime of day.  Your prayer may not always be answered right away or in the manner that you desire it be fulfilled, but He answers all prayer in accordance to your need.  Never be afraid to share the causes of your anxieties, the unfulfilled needs you have or perceive to have, with Jesus – it’s in His job description and it’s who He is, and wants to be for us who call Him Lord.  It may not be a crowdfunding drive that comes your way, but it may be through your fellowship and certainly through your Faith that your burdens are lifted from you.