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You Have Something There’s a game that I love playing with my boys. Feel free to try it on your kids or someone else’s kids, but not with a stranger’s kids; that would be inappropriate. Cup your hands and pretend to have something of great value inside. Bring the child’s attention to it, but keep it “hidden” and see if they can pry your hands away from the precious object. Their innate curiosity will only allow them to give up once they discover what is in your hand. After a bout of fun and wrestling, I let them pry open my hands to reveal they were empty the whole time. Every once in a while, I will have a random item in my hand, but the real fun is the struggle of finding out what is in my hands and wrestling with dad. People visit my office almost daily to visit, pray, and seek guidance. And there is an individual that stops by every once and a while for this very purpose. I have seen this person make great strides in their pursuit of Jesus. In our conversation, he admitted that he still struggles with some things, but one thing that motivates him the most is when he observes more mature Christians; they have something that he does not possess yet. What he observes most abundantly is peace. He sees peace, and he wants that to be present in his life. Consider the words of Paul as he writes to the church in Philippi and comprehend how attractive this lifestyle is to a world full of anxiety and chaos. Philippians 4: 4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Recognize that this peace is dependent on a few beliefs. First, you must believe that the Lord is near, that He is present and imminent. God’s proximity is the reality; however, we seldom rest in this truth. Instead, we become anxious and demand signs, wonders, and deliverance to fully trust. Those who are mature in their faith may have moments of unease, but they consider the nearness of God, and it will reduce the anxiety present in their life. The second element that produces inner calmness is when we are anxious; we place these concerns back at the throne, pleading for God to remove them. The attitude of the begging is not by selfish demands but through humble thanksgiving. Therefore, we acknowledge God’s nearness, thank Him for all He has done, and then make our requests. This approach grants us peace, and this peace guards our hearts; it protects us from spiraling in harmful ways. This peace is the byproduct of experience. Reflect on the father of faith, Abraham; how much did he face before he fully trusted in God? There was a famine in Canaan- he went to Egypt. He felt his life was in jeopardy because of Sarai- he lied and said she was his sister. He had no children- he slept with Hagar. Time and time again, Abraham was anxious and apprehensive. However, He, who is Faithful, never faltered, and Abraham could fully trust and find a peace that passes understanding. Whether you admit it or not, you have something that the world desperately needs. The people around us may only get glimpses of it in our lives, but they see a peace that comes from trusting in God that they might not be able to access. Having peace does not mean you don’t or won’t struggle with anxiety; it means that when worries appear, you recognize that the Lord is near, and you lay that concern at His throne, thanking Him for all of the other circumstances that He has provided an escape for you. Let them notice that you have something of great value, and then show them how they can access it too. Because you have something… |