Only a Piece of the Peace

Life is full of all kinds of stresses and anxieties. There could be relationship issues, friendship issues, parental issues, school issues, and many other kinds of issues. Let's be honest, there's probably something right now that is wearing you out and your patience, your strength, and your positive attitude is either stretched to the max or completely wiped out. What in life right now has you feeling overwhelmed, out of control, or stressed?

The next big question to ask yourself is how do you typically try to find comfort or relief from that stressful situation? Who or what do you look to for peace? Some may run to entertainment, things like movies, books, and video games can provide a temporary escape as they follow the twists and turns of their favorite fictional characters. Some turn to things like music because its a medium that helps channel and express their emotions. Some experiment with substances to try and numb the pain; thinking that something like drugs, alcohol or even junk food can take away the difficulties of their current circumstance. Many will try to find peace, comfort, and wisdom in a variety of people or things; but ultimately we all need to look to Jesus for peace. When we run to these things we are only discovering a piece of the peace that our hearts and souls desire.

Jesus is nicknamed the Prince of Peace, the Holy Spirit is called the Comforter, God is all about peace and he wants you to experience peace; even right now as you try to navigate that tough and stressful issue you're going through. Paul said it best in his letter to the Philippians, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6-7)

The next time you find yourself feeling stretched to the max, don't run to your usual comforts that are so easily accessible. Instead spend some quality time with Jesus. Whether its through a time of talking to God, sitting in silence, reading a Bible verse, or listening to worship music; try to find peace by spending time with the God of Peace. When we do that we are reminded that God hasn't left our side, God is hearing us when we speak to him, God is bigger than our circumstances, God cares about us, and God can use our experiences to shape us into the men and women of God that he desires us to be. In doing so you'll discover all of the peace that God wants you to experience.