There is so much anxiety across our nation, and our world, these days. Everyone appears to be unbelievably anxious and concerned. The results of our national elections caused many folks to be happy, and many much less happy. These days there are protests in the street on a daily basis. Every time you turn on the TV, or read a newspaper, there is something going on that causes us all to be even more anxious. We need inner peace, individually and as a nation. Where can we find it?
Many folks turn to exercise, meditation, food or drink to attain some level of inner peace. Those things work to some extent. Some folks even deny that there is any anxiety at all. They think they are living a stress free life. Interestingly, sometimes in life we are so consumed by things that we aren’t even aware of.
I find my inner peace from my personal relationship with God. Philippians 4:67 tell us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” I try to follow these Biblical instructions all the time.
Everyday I start my day in prayer, and I ask God to be with me over the course of the day. I ask Him for the strength, courage and wisdom to do what He wants me to do. I know good things will come my way, but also there is always the possibility of bad things as well. I take solace knowing that God will be with me in whatever happens, good or bad. As instructed, “ I present my requests to God” and then I “Let Go, Let God.”
In Proverbs 3:5-6 we are told “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Sometimes we forget that we are finite, but God is infinite. There is no way that we are going to be able to understand why things are the way they are, but God does. We need to stop trying to figure everything out. Just work to strengthen your relationship with God, and it will all be OK.
I write about all these things and more in my new book Work Hard Pray Hard: The Power of Faith In Action. It will be released 4 April. You can preorder it now on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I hope the book helps you in your search for inner peace.