ENCOURAGEMENTS
Inner Peace
Everyone experiences times of emotional chaos that make it seem impossible to sense peace. But the Lord can provide inner contentment in even the darkest and most turbulent periods of our life.
How can we have peace in any circumstance? The key is abiding in Jesus Christ, which means putting our faith in Him and trusting He will strengthen us through any hardship. As Christians, we are inseparably connected to the Lord, just as branches are attached to the vine. Life-giving nutrients run through the plant to every shoot. And so it is with Christ and His followers. His peace flows into us. No matter what is done to us or how life disappoints, His nourishment will not be cut off.
In the days leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus assured His followers that He would continue to care and provide: "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, emphasis added). In other words, nothing can stop His peace from reaching us. If our contentment dries up, it is because we doubt God will keep His promise to watch over us.
Every person will, at some point, face hardship, but no believer has to give in to anxiety. We have an awesome God caring for us. If we trust Him to see us through our challenges, He will pour His strength, guidance, and comfort into our lives. And in Him, we will find peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Watching God Work
A modern tragedy in the church is that so few Christians are aware of the Lord's work in their daily life. Most believers rejoice when God answers prayer and marvel when He reveals a new scriptural concept. Yet too few of us expect Him to have any interest in our relationships or workday. We must remember that the Lord is involved in all aspects of our life, and we can see Him move if we look at things with His perspective.
First, we must have a right relationship with God. We will be blind to His work until we trust His Son as our personal Savior. At the moment of salvation, we're each given an amazing gift--the Holy Spirit, who provides spiritual discernment. He helps us see how situations that may appear insignificant or negative are actually part of the Father's plan to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.
Second, we ought to be characterized by prayerfulness. Talking to God places Him at the center of our focus and makes us attentive to His work. As we pray, we are likely to be asking for His intervention on our behalf and watching carefully for His response.
Third, we have to submit our will to God. When we are prepared to do whatever it is the Lord requires of us, He most definitely will be working in our life. We can expect to see results every time we follow His guidance.
The Lord's work is an expression of His great love. He wants us to see what He is doing so our faith will be strengthened. If we are prayerful and submissive, the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to the Father's hand in our life.
