I have never liked the middle of movies. Because in the middle of the movie something always goes terribly wrong. Maybe it’s a misunderstanding in a relationship, maybe it’s the villain escaping, or it’s a natural disaster of some kind. Whatever the genre of movie, about half way through something is bound to go wrong.
I don’t like having to go through the messy uncomfortable process of getting to the end of the movie. So, in the middle of the chaos I’m a mess. To be honest, I often find myself feeling that way in real life. When God is walking me through an uncomfortable or painful situation, I have a hard time staying in His peace. While I know that God is going to get me through the situation, and I believe that I have victory in Christ, having peace in the process of getting there still can be difficult.
So how can we walk in God’s peace even in the midst of the messy process?
In Philippians, Paul talks about how we are to walk in God’s peace:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7, NIV
Paul first of all acknowledges that situations will arise where we will be tempted to not be at peace. But he also tells us what to do! Instead of allowing worry and fear to steal our peace, we present our requests to God. When we submit our transition and turmoil to God, and invite him into our mess, we allow God’s peace to transcend our situation.
So often in the middle of trials, we want to understand why. This instinct is perfectly normal, but in the midst of our circumstance, God first and foremost longs for his peace to dwell in our hearts.
The promise isn’t that we won’t have trials or transitions or times where we don’t understand, but God does promise that in every situation we have access to a peace that passes our understanding and will guard our hearts and minds in the process of waiting on Him.
So, this week ask the Lord, “God will you give me your peace in this situation?” I challenge you to see what the Lord does!
For more resources on this topic, listen to MercyTalk podcast A Special Message from Julie Bailey.
