God’s Peace
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:7, NIV
Back in 2022, my husband and I had to work through a very stressful situation. We had purchased a business as an avenue out of our current unhappy work situations. The business seemed like a great avenue to not only replace those jobs but also to do God’s work as stewards of the earth and operate as an honest Christian company. When our boots hit the ground, we were hit hard with the reality that finding and keeping help would be very difficult, and that the business side of things is just not as fun as the tree work. My husband and I were faced with the difficult decision of either letting it go or pushing forward. We spent months deep in stress, to where I could see the physical changes in my husband and feel the physical changes in my body. All the while we were still working and raising our kids.
I will never forget the day I sat in my “Bible study chair” and prayed to God for direction and peace. Verse 6 of Philippians says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (NIV) I truly turned the situation over to God, and the peace that immediately surrounded me was undeniably by our heavenly Father’s strength and grace, and not of my ability.
I realized that no matter which decision we made, it would have no bearing on our eternal home. You see, my focus was on earthly things: work, finances, and self-employment. My priority and focus should always be on God’s kingdom and His kingdom agenda, which is to show others Jesus and make disciples while here on earth. This world is not my forever home, but at the time that was my focus. We are instructed to set our “minds on things above, not on earthly things”. (Colossians 3:2, NIV). It’s simple, and yet I had it all backwards. While finances play a big part in our earthly lives, we cannot allow them to become idols and take priority over our kingdom agenda.
We had allowed this decision to take up so much space in our minds and lives it became our first priority, allowing God’s presence to take a backseat. That’s when Satan began to strike. He would have loved to keep us there, focused on turmoil and defeat, and not the power and peace of God. But we serve a God who has already defeated Satan, and desperately wants us to focus on Him! When my thought process shifted, I felt the importance and stress of the decision quickly fade away and peace flood into its place.
I challenge you to let go of the earthly things you stress over each day and realize their unimportance. Never take your eyes off the cross because then you focus on the storm. Cling to God’s power, Word, and peace in your life every day!