How to Find Peace in a Crazy World
Peace—a five-letter word that means so much to so many people. It is what most of us, in some capacity, wake up every morning and strive to attain, whether we realize it or not. Some of us achieve it. To others, those five letters feel as hard to grasp as the wind or as fleeting as a sunset, especially in difficult times. In our crazy world, it can be hard to find peace.
The Struggle to Find Peace During a Crisis
There has been a single verse that I felt God lay on my heart over the past few months: “I will wait quietly before the Lord, because my victory comes from him” (Psalm 62:1). It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? I wish I could tell you this is something I have mastered, but I haven't.
There have been days where I keep searching for chores to do around the house, so I don’t have to BE STILL (anyone been there?), which, in a small apartment, only lasts about an hour unfortunately.
I have always struggled with the concept of being still—from being a nervous third grader on the first day of school to being a sophomore in college and having the inability to sit still in statistics class. This has felt heightened in the past few months due to what is going on with the world today.
Why is it so difficult to sit quietly before the Lord? Why do I struggle with being still?
I may not have all the answers, but there are a few things I have noticed personally in the past few weeks. Whenever I actually make the time to just BE with God, all of my worries, doubts, and fears just seem to melt away. And truthfully, I begin to feel that peace that we all so desperately crave.
How to Find Peace in Today's Pandemic
Below are a few personal takeaways in this season of adjusting to a “new normal” for all of us that I hope encourage you and lead you to peace.
- God isn’t just some person to be studied; He is a father to be known. Let’s use this time in history to refocus our hearts and lives back on Jesus. In this season, I hope you find “your place” with God. I love to go for walks and talk to God. I often feel most connected with Him in nature. Maybe for you, that’s in the shower, in a room in your house, or on your front porch with a sweet tea.
- Sitting still before the Lord in prayer allows God to remind us of who we are and who He is. Often in prayer, we all think about what to say. Let’s all try to become better listeners in this season. He’s the one with the peace and all the answers.
- True peace doesn’t come from the absence of storms but recognizing who is with you in the storms. So much of life is about perspective. Faith isn’t about head knowledge. Do we truly believe that God is for us and with us every step of our lives? We must find creative ways to remind ourselves daily of His presence. This could be placing encouraging notes on our bathroom mirrors or throughout our homes, listening to worship music when we’re by ourselves, reading the Bible, or simply talking to God.
I know this is a trying time, and it seems it will last forever. But I hope we can take some of these practical steps in our spiritual life to find encouragement and peace in this chaos. I am also looking forward to seeing how this season unites us and makes us a stronger, kinder, better version of the church. We are not a building; we are a people.