I couldn’t stop the tears even though I was exhausted from crying. I made my way to the front of the church for prayer, again. I had given my struggle over to God last week during Sunday morning service, and the week before that, and the week before that. But I couldn’t seem to rest in knowing He had it all under control. I still dragged around a weight of responsibility that grew heavier each day.
This became a familiar pattern in my life. I read verses. I prayed. I told God I trusted Him with my circumstances. Yet time and time again I found myself agonizing over the same problems. I lived each day feeling more tired than the day before. My joy had been zapped by worry, weariness, and defeat.
I longed for change and wanted to enjoy my dependence on God’s grace in my life. But how? How could I truly cast my cares on Him and embrace the victory He gave?
It’s easy to get so used to life’s struggles that we forget to “rejoice in our confident hope.” (Romans 12:12) But the apostle Paul reminds us of God’s sustaining presence in Philippians 4:6-7, “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.”
When we understand the freedom that comes with fully depending on God, we will also rediscover the enjoyable life He intends for us to have. It’s here and available to us, if we are willing to receive it.
Accepting the Peace that Comes Through Your Dependence on God.
I recall the overwhelming feeling of worry that accompanied me to church that day. When my pastor noticed tears forming behind my glasses, he made his way over to my seat. I have no doubt God directed him as he administered a dose of tough love that the Lord knew I needed.
“This is not about them. This is about you.” His hand stretched toward my family, then pointed back to me. God’s message pierced my heart. I realized worry over our current circumstances had consumed my thoughts. I needed to reconfirm my dependence on God for the wellbeing of my family and accept peace once again.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27)
In the most uncertain time of the disciples’ lives, Jesus gave them a gift with eternal value. The gift of His peace. Though they didn’t understand what was about to happen to Jesus, they accepted His words and agreed to trust His will.
Jesus’ gift is still available to us, but we need to release whatever we are holding onto today and open our arms to receive it.
If we don’t welcome His peace, we risk allowing fear, worry, and frustration into our lives. Jesus’ peace is more powerful than all of these combined. Let’s thank him for this incredible gift and enjoy peace as we trust our families and futures to him.
I’ve created a special resource just for you— my community here in this online home. It came out of a difficult time, one where I realized how deeply I needed a right-now promise from God for my current season. It’s called 100 of God’s Promises for Your Unraveled Heart.
Each of these 100 promises came into my life by God’s amazing grace. Trust me when I say, an internet search was not involved in putting together this list. Only tears, prayers, and a changed heart. I believe it will change yours, too. Join the community if you haven’t already, and grab your free digital download of this amazing list.
This post is a portion of Kristine’s article, “How to Enjoy Your Dependence on God,” originally published on iBelieve.com.