Finding Peace
(disclaimer: yes, I know this is long. Yes, I'm sorry. But it is story time again, and I thought it important to share!)
I was young when I was pregnant with our first child. And though I was often told I was smart, I was pretty naïve. So I had this idea in my mind of how being a mom would be. But ideas are seldom the same as reality. Soon, I was wracked with the typical fears: am I really ready to be a mom? What was I thinking? How can I raise a baby, when I am such a mess sometimes? This was all nothing, though. I was barely into my pregnancy before God showed me how little I really knew.
Towards the end of my first trimester, I had complications arise. My best friend at the time was the Children’s Pastor’s daughter, and I had been roped into helping with a puppet skit. I was to be Miss Piggy. She had to pop out of a very low window, so I squatted back stage, stuck my hand-covered puppet through the window and began to talk like a Muppet. Then, all the sudden, I had the weirdest feeling. I thought I was peeing! Right there behind the stage, I was having an incontinent moment! I raced through the skit, threw the puppet into the closet, and dashed past my friend to the bathroom (hoping the whole time that no one could see my wet behind! ☺ )
Once I got into the bathroom, though, I discovered the even more awful truth. I hadn’t peed; I had started to gush blood! Now this completely naïve and young girl was freaking out in the bathroom! Of course, it was a bathroom in a new wing of the building that hardly anyone used! I waited for about 15 minutes for someone to come in that I could send to get help. No one came and I freaked out a little bit more. I finally had to clean up the best I could, make a little “pad” out of toilet paper, wrap my jacket around my waist to hide any stains, and seek out Andy on my own.
And of course, Andy was not easily found. After wandering in a panic for about ten minutes, I finally walked past our pastor’s wife and another friend of mine. They saw how upset I was and asked what was wrong. That’s when I lost it. Right there in the middle of the church foyer, I busted out sobbing. Someone went to find Andy for me, and I stayed there with the pastor’s wife, creating a scene, and drenching her shoulder.
After Andy was found, we went to the emergency room. What followed was two months worth of worry and heartache. I had around six sonograms to check on Jonathan. I got put on strict bed rest. I couldn’t even get up to make something to eat. Andy had to do that for me. Every time I’d go in for a check up and things started to look better, they’d back off the bed rest, only for me to start bleeding again. Then back to bed rest I went. Finally, two months after this whole thing began, I went to a retreat, where God healed me completely. I had a doctor’s appointment the following Monday, and was found completely better and could go back to normal activity. And, as anyone who has had to stay confined to a reclined position for two months can tell you, I was completely thrilled!
I learned a lot from that experience. I learned that, despite being young and doubting if I was ready for kids, I truly wanted my child to live. I learned that, when there is pain or danger involved with my family, I have no peace until all is made right. And I learned that my worry and fear over that suffering only added to the lack of peace.
All of us have had times where we were so miserable, so fearful, so barraged with difficulty that we could not even begin to grasp peace. And yet, what we faced is nothing new to Jesus. This week we saw how He maintained peace in several ways: in aloneness, in provision, in the midst of storm, in waiting, in sorrow, and finally in His own death. And yet, many times we have difficulty maintaining peace in the simplest of times. What is stopping us?
I believe there can be many things that get in our way, but I want to focus on two this week. I believe we lack peace many times because of fear and worry.
Let’s face it. We, as women, are naturally bent toward worrying. Oh joy. Perhaps it is our motherly nature. Maybe it is our helpmate role. Whatever the reason, we are constantly awarded situations to challenge even the greatest of faith. This is especially true in regards to our family. We worry that we won’t have enough money to make it through the week. We worry that our child is doing well at school, or will make friends, or won’t do drugs, or will get over that medical issue. We worry about our spouses and their health and sanity. If we have gone through the pain of divorce, we worry that we can make it as a single person again, or if we will ever find lasting happiness in a relationship. If we have never been married, we worry that we are destined to be alone the rest of our lives. We worry. We worry and worry and then worry some more.
But what does the bible tell us about this? Matthew 6:25-34 tells us not to worry. That God cares for us and will provide. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Matthew 6:8 tells us that He knows our needs before we even ask. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” These are just a few references that show us we have no need to worry!
I think often, worry and fear are wound up in the same situation, which is why we are hitting on both this week. For me with my pregnancy, I was consumed with fear of the unknown and worried that that same unknown would bring what I least desired. Fear is just as trying as worry, because it cripples us into inaction.
Peter was gliding across the top of the waves to Jesus when fear gripped him. He became inactive and, in fear, began to sink. Why? Because he took his eyes off Jesus, saw the storm around him, and let it get the better of him.
We give in to fear when we, like Peter, take our eyes off of Jesus. We give into worry when we dwell on the circumstances instead of God’s promises. So how do we fix this? We have to focus on Jesus, spend time with Him, and through that time, we will find the faith we need to trust in His promises.
(Are you beginning to see a pattern with each of these fruits we have been discussing? The only way to see them develop in our lives more is to spend time with Jesus! This is because the more you hang out with someone the more you become like them! Look at married couples that have made it to 50 or 60 years together. They LOOK like each other, they know each other so well!)
I do want to point out one important truth that Beth Moore makes about peace. Peace doesn’t mean the absence of pain and grief. As even Brandon pointed out on Sunday, walking with Jesus almost GUARANTEES you are going to suffer! Having the peace of God means going through those circumstances with the absence of fear and worry. And what do we get when we walk in His peace, believing that He will help us? John 11:40 tells us that, when we believe, we will “see the glory of God”. When we keep our eyes on Him, and believe in His promises, we will see God work in the situation! It may not be the outcome you expect, but it will be an outcome that brings glory to God and brings you closer to Him!
So where are you at? Do you constantly worry over situations? Are you bogged down with fear?
We have talked in prior weeks about the benefit of memorizing scripture. I believe that is a great way to draw closer to God. How better to trust in Him than to memorize His promises? With that in mind, here is your assignment for further study:
1. Decide which is holding you back more: fear or worry. Select at least one of the following scriptures to memorize concerning that choice. (If you are really having a hard time with it, you might want to memorize more than one. Or if they are equally challenging, you might want to pick one from each!)
worry: Phil. 4:19, Matt. 6:25-34, John 14:1, Psalms 46:10
fear: Isaiah 41:10, Luke 12:4-7, Romans 8:15, Psalms 118:6
2. Do you have a favorite scripture, not listed above, to share? Post it. It may be helpful to someone else.
3. You may be in the midst of experiencing great peace. What has helped you get to this place? Share with the group.
4. Share with us any thoughts you have.
I am praying for each of you to have a worry-free and fearless week as you walk in the perfect peace that comes from knowing Jesus!
Sonya
I was young when I was pregnant with our first child. And though I was often told I was smart, I was pretty naïve. So I had this idea in my mind of how being a mom would be. But ideas are seldom the same as reality. Soon, I was wracked with the typical fears: am I really ready to be a mom? What was I thinking? How can I raise a baby, when I am such a mess sometimes? This was all nothing, though. I was barely into my pregnancy before God showed me how little I really knew.
Towards the end of my first trimester, I had complications arise. My best friend at the time was the Children’s Pastor’s daughter, and I had been roped into helping with a puppet skit. I was to be Miss Piggy. She had to pop out of a very low window, so I squatted back stage, stuck my hand-covered puppet through the window and began to talk like a Muppet. Then, all the sudden, I had the weirdest feeling. I thought I was peeing! Right there behind the stage, I was having an incontinent moment! I raced through the skit, threw the puppet into the closet, and dashed past my friend to the bathroom (hoping the whole time that no one could see my wet behind! ☺ )
Once I got into the bathroom, though, I discovered the even more awful truth. I hadn’t peed; I had started to gush blood! Now this completely naïve and young girl was freaking out in the bathroom! Of course, it was a bathroom in a new wing of the building that hardly anyone used! I waited for about 15 minutes for someone to come in that I could send to get help. No one came and I freaked out a little bit more. I finally had to clean up the best I could, make a little “pad” out of toilet paper, wrap my jacket around my waist to hide any stains, and seek out Andy on my own.
And of course, Andy was not easily found. After wandering in a panic for about ten minutes, I finally walked past our pastor’s wife and another friend of mine. They saw how upset I was and asked what was wrong. That’s when I lost it. Right there in the middle of the church foyer, I busted out sobbing. Someone went to find Andy for me, and I stayed there with the pastor’s wife, creating a scene, and drenching her shoulder.
After Andy was found, we went to the emergency room. What followed was two months worth of worry and heartache. I had around six sonograms to check on Jonathan. I got put on strict bed rest. I couldn’t even get up to make something to eat. Andy had to do that for me. Every time I’d go in for a check up and things started to look better, they’d back off the bed rest, only for me to start bleeding again. Then back to bed rest I went. Finally, two months after this whole thing began, I went to a retreat, where God healed me completely. I had a doctor’s appointment the following Monday, and was found completely better and could go back to normal activity. And, as anyone who has had to stay confined to a reclined position for two months can tell you, I was completely thrilled!
I learned a lot from that experience. I learned that, despite being young and doubting if I was ready for kids, I truly wanted my child to live. I learned that, when there is pain or danger involved with my family, I have no peace until all is made right. And I learned that my worry and fear over that suffering only added to the lack of peace.
All of us have had times where we were so miserable, so fearful, so barraged with difficulty that we could not even begin to grasp peace. And yet, what we faced is nothing new to Jesus. This week we saw how He maintained peace in several ways: in aloneness, in provision, in the midst of storm, in waiting, in sorrow, and finally in His own death. And yet, many times we have difficulty maintaining peace in the simplest of times. What is stopping us?
I believe there can be many things that get in our way, but I want to focus on two this week. I believe we lack peace many times because of fear and worry.
Let’s face it. We, as women, are naturally bent toward worrying. Oh joy. Perhaps it is our motherly nature. Maybe it is our helpmate role. Whatever the reason, we are constantly awarded situations to challenge even the greatest of faith. This is especially true in regards to our family. We worry that we won’t have enough money to make it through the week. We worry that our child is doing well at school, or will make friends, or won’t do drugs, or will get over that medical issue. We worry about our spouses and their health and sanity. If we have gone through the pain of divorce, we worry that we can make it as a single person again, or if we will ever find lasting happiness in a relationship. If we have never been married, we worry that we are destined to be alone the rest of our lives. We worry. We worry and worry and then worry some more.
But what does the bible tell us about this? Matthew 6:25-34 tells us not to worry. That God cares for us and will provide. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Matthew 6:8 tells us that He knows our needs before we even ask. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” These are just a few references that show us we have no need to worry!
I think often, worry and fear are wound up in the same situation, which is why we are hitting on both this week. For me with my pregnancy, I was consumed with fear of the unknown and worried that that same unknown would bring what I least desired. Fear is just as trying as worry, because it cripples us into inaction.
Peter was gliding across the top of the waves to Jesus when fear gripped him. He became inactive and, in fear, began to sink. Why? Because he took his eyes off Jesus, saw the storm around him, and let it get the better of him.
We give in to fear when we, like Peter, take our eyes off of Jesus. We give into worry when we dwell on the circumstances instead of God’s promises. So how do we fix this? We have to focus on Jesus, spend time with Him, and through that time, we will find the faith we need to trust in His promises.
(Are you beginning to see a pattern with each of these fruits we have been discussing? The only way to see them develop in our lives more is to spend time with Jesus! This is because the more you hang out with someone the more you become like them! Look at married couples that have made it to 50 or 60 years together. They LOOK like each other, they know each other so well!)
I do want to point out one important truth that Beth Moore makes about peace. Peace doesn’t mean the absence of pain and grief. As even Brandon pointed out on Sunday, walking with Jesus almost GUARANTEES you are going to suffer! Having the peace of God means going through those circumstances with the absence of fear and worry. And what do we get when we walk in His peace, believing that He will help us? John 11:40 tells us that, when we believe, we will “see the glory of God”. When we keep our eyes on Him, and believe in His promises, we will see God work in the situation! It may not be the outcome you expect, but it will be an outcome that brings glory to God and brings you closer to Him!
So where are you at? Do you constantly worry over situations? Are you bogged down with fear?
We have talked in prior weeks about the benefit of memorizing scripture. I believe that is a great way to draw closer to God. How better to trust in Him than to memorize His promises? With that in mind, here is your assignment for further study:
1. Decide which is holding you back more: fear or worry. Select at least one of the following scriptures to memorize concerning that choice. (If you are really having a hard time with it, you might want to memorize more than one. Or if they are equally challenging, you might want to pick one from each!)
worry: Phil. 4:19, Matt. 6:25-34, John 14:1, Psalms 46:10
fear: Isaiah 41:10, Luke 12:4-7, Romans 8:15, Psalms 118:6
2. Do you have a favorite scripture, not listed above, to share? Post it. It may be helpful to someone else.
3. You may be in the midst of experiencing great peace. What has helped you get to this place? Share with the group.
4. Share with us any thoughts you have.
I am praying for each of you to have a worry-free and fearless week as you walk in the perfect peace that comes from knowing Jesus!
Sonya
posted by Sonya Day | 12:17 PM
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