Peace in a Pandemic

I published a version of this post in January 2019. I needed to re-read these words today—I hope they’re an encouragement for you, too.

Peace.

Peace with my body and health.

Peace in my marriage.

Peace within family and friendships.

Peace financially.

Peace with our jobs.

Peace at home.

Peace in my heart.

Peace with God.

This peace is the opposite of fear, worry, and anxiety. It’s the opposite of turmoil and war. Peace takes work. It takes trust in the Lord and faith in His plan.

The word “peace” occurs more than 400 times in the Bible. Yes, 400.

Try finding “fear” or “anxiety” that many times. Hint: You won’t. And when you do see “fear,” it’s likely referring to the fear of God, a holy reverence and awe of Him, not a feeling of danger.

My pastor once delivered a sermon where he referenced Ephesians 2, and it has really stuck with me. He said Jesus Himself is our peace—and that God actually created peace. Meditating on that helps bring me peace. Our God is not a God of worry and anxiety but of peace.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”

— Ephesians 2:14-17

God sent his son, Jesus, to defeat sin and Satan. He destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between us and God, and He offers new, eternal life to everyone—simply asking we confess that we need Him and that we believe in Him. The cross that Jesus died for us on reconciles us to God and puts to death the hostility. It can no longer overtake us or rule us. It’s done for good.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

— Isaiah 9:6

But Jesus is not.

He rose again and is now seated at the throne in heaven. He came and preached peace to all the ends of the earth. Peace is His mission. Peace is His message, and this is the peace that I want to guide my life.

For so many of us, 2020 has been the opposite of peace. It’s been a year full of worry, anxiety, doubt, and fear. You might be afraid of COVID or getting sick this season. I can relate. My anxiety has shifted off of my body and food—praise God!—as He has brought significant healing into that area of my life. But when I’m not spending as much time in the Word, in prayer, or in community, the anxiety can crop back up in new ways. I’ve worried about my family’s health. I’ve faced anxiety around my parenting, marriage, home, and finances. Even around my passion for writing.

I’ve had a panic attack once before, and I don’t want to face that again. I want to take time away from the fear-inducing things of this world and focus on the peace of Christ.

I pray this peace will rule in my heart as I have been “called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15) Gratitude truly does change my perspective. When I focus on my blessings, my fear quickly dissipates. When I remember all The Lord has done for me, how He’s given me a new identity and a firm foundation in Him alone, then the stressors of this world become small. Then all I want is to live for Him and to be more like Him.

I love the story of Jesus calming the storm in Luke 8:22-25:

“One day he and his disciples got into a boat, and he told them, ‘Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.’ So they set out, and as they were sailing he fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. They came and woke him up, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to die!’

Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’

They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, ‘Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!’”

As I read this passage, I noticed the note I had written in the margin a long time ago: Often we go through storms to experience more of God and more of His glory. He uses the storms to strengthen our faith and trust in Him. But He’s always present in the storm and all-powerful over it.

I imagine God has been waiting for me to come to this point, saying to me, Where is your faith? (Luke 8:25) I have created you for such a time as this. (Esther 4:14) Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. (Jeremiah 1:5) I know the plans I have for you, and I will give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) Now trust in me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

God is saying those words to you, too, my friend. Listen to His truth and trust in His peace.

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If you want to talk more about Jesus Christ and faith, shoot me a message. I love meeting new people, whether virtually or in person, and gabbing about life. 

And if you'd like to know more of my story, you can read my testimony here.

Truly, He makes beautiful things.

A Lesson in Motherhood

All I wanted to do was get dinner on the table.

My 1-year-old had ransacked our apartment, with books, blocks, pots, pans, and Cheerios everywhere. My stomach rumbled with hunger, I had loads of laundry to do after a week away, and my husband wouldn’t be home until late. 

When my son yanked open the cabinet under the kitchen sink for the countless time—pulling out the dishwasher detergent with delight—I lost it. “No!” I snapped at him, and he promptly burst into tears. 

Shame immediately washed over me like a wave. I knelt down and hugged my baby, rocking him back and forth as I prayed:

Lord, give me patience and the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). I ask for joy in You and in the seemingly mundane parts of daily life. Thank you for this sweet son You’ve given me. He is a good and perfect gift (James 1:17). Help me to fix my eyes on You.

Prayer is not my natural inclination. Rather than running to the Lord, I wallow in worry and fear. I try to control situations on my own. I am quick to snap at others. I fail to be patient, joyful, and content. And often, I entirely ignore entirely God’s call on my heart to pray. 

God tells us to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

Do make our requests known to God? Do we pray with thanksgiving? He knows us intimately (Psalm 139:1-6), and He hears us when we call on Him (Jeremiah 29:12). 

Christ went to the cross for our sins. He died and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He has swallowed up death in victory! (1 Corinthians 15:55) He alone can provide peace and joy in the midst of a pandemic, school closures, job losses, loneliness, illness, and grief. He is the light of the world (John 8:12), illuminating any darkness we face. 

In his book Prayer, Timothy Keller writes,

"Prayer is both conversation and encounter with God... We must know the awe of praising His glory, the intimacy of finding His grace, and the struggle of asking His help, all of which can lead us to know the spiritual reality of His presence."

We’re given the gift of prayer to communicate with God whenever we want. The God of heaven and earth wants to talk to us. Knowing that fills my heart with wonder and hope. 

Prayer should be a regular rhythm of our lives. Let us be women who start each day conversing with our Father and who continue that conversation without end.

May we be slow to speak and quick to listen. May we trust in our Father who is always good and always faithful. May prayer become the hallmark of our lives. May we “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

My Word of the Year: 6 Months In

Joy.

I chose joy as my word of the year back in early January, and, goodness, the world has sure looked different than I think any of us ever expected coming into 2020. We’ve witnessed a pandemic, stay-at-home orders and shutdowns, sweeping unemployment, brutal murders, peaceful protests, terrifying riots, and political division (to put it lightly).

I chose joy because of my own internal circumstance—hormones, lack of sleep, self-doubt, anger, and anxiety. I chose joy thinking of my physical and mental states. I had no idea what would soon be happening all around me.

Can I still experience joy when the world feels like it’s falling apart?

As a believer in Jesus Christ, the answer is yes. It’s not an easy answer, but it is a simple one. Christ provides joy in all circumstances, trials, and tests. He provides hope in the situations that feel beyond hopeless. He offers rest for our weary souls and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

The big question is whether we believe that.

Here’s what James had to say:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

A little background: James is the half-brother of Jesus. He was with Jesus for most of their lives, but he was skeptical of His ministry. After seeing his brother die and then seeing the resurrected Christ, James became a strong believer, disciple, and pillar of the church. He also was martyred for his faith.

So James understands the testing of his faith. He understands trials and persecution. He was living in the time of Jesus, and he was one of the very first disciples of our Lord at a time when people weren’t exactly super friendly toward Christianity. Sound familiar?

James tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds. The testing of our faith produces perseverance. I often have to repeat that to myself and meditate on it—and still the wonder of this truth continues to awe me.

Can I have joy when:

• COVID runs rampant

• Business shut down

• The economy tanks

• I lose my job

• I feel depressed or anxious

• I have to home-school my kids

• All mom’s groups are called off

• My marriage is falling apart

• My retirement account looks bleak

• My wedding is postponed

• The long-awaited vacation is cancelled

• A friendship falls apart

• A loved one receives a diagnosis

• The pregnancy test is negative, again, after months of trying

• Riots continue throughout the country

• Church is still online only

• My friend is far from God

• And I am exhausted, frustrated, sad, angry, overwhelmed, all of the above?

Can you have joy in the midst of this? These situations are all very real. They’re just a sample of the circumstances affecting either myself or the people around me. They’re all difficult and anxiety-inducing. They all require us to put on the armor of God and trust that He will go to battle on our behalf.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

— Ephesians 6:8-10

I am continually learning how to have joy in all circumstances. God keeps pressing “joy” upon my heart, reminding me of my word for 2020 and all that He promises to do in His Word.

He is faithful.

He is righteous.

He is merciful.

He is just.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you at the proper time…”

— 1 Peter 5:6

He can be trusted, always. We need more of Him and less of ourselves. Humble yourself and exalt the Lord. Put things in their right order in light of eternity, and the troubles here on earth won’t seem quite so terrifying.

I have to preach this to myself on pretty much a daily basis. I read the Bible, pray, talk with my fellow believers, listen to encouraging podcasts and sermons, and remind myself of the joy I have in God. It is the greatest gift. I’m asking God to cultivate this fruit within me, every day, no matter what circumstances I’m facing.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law..”

— Galatians 5:22-23