The peace that guards

How many of us can say that we struggle with unsettling feelings and with anxiety regarding our circumstances? Thoughts creep in on us unexpectedly and create doubt, confusion and even anger. It always amazes me how we just let this happen. We know the truth – why do we let these unsettling thoughts and feelings beat us down and control our attitudes? Why can’t we muster up our strength and fight back?

The truth is, we do not often have the strength to fight back. We think we do, which is why we end up failing to protect ourselves. The thoughts of our minds and the whispers of our hearts are precious. We want to protect them from the lies that are thrown at us every single day. But how can we if we don’t have the strength?

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I read these verses the other day, and God showed me something different that I had not thought of before now.

The first thing that popped out at me was the word “thanksgiving.” It hit me that I pray for things and thank God after he answers my prayers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but there is something missing from that. Paul tells us to present our requests to God “with thanksgiving.” 

We all present requests before God. Many of us even have the right heart attitude when presenting these requests. But how many of us thank God in advance for answering our prayers? Why do we wait to thank him until we are sure he has answered? We should be thanking God just for the opportunity to be talking to him, let alone for the fact that he will answer our prayers! So the next time you present a request before God, remember to thank him for how he will answer your request.

The second thing that I realized was the meaning behind “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I love how you can read a verse over and over again, gaining something different each time you read it. This was one of those times. 

As I read this verse, an image came to mind. I thought of a transcending peace, a peace that goes beyond anything I can understand, surrounding my heart. Things such as anxiety, guilt, jealousy and fear are nearby, ready to strike. But every time they do, they merely bounce off of God’s peace. This peace that I cannot even understand because it is so great protects my thoughts and my heart from being attacked.

So it is true: We can’t protect ourselves from everything that comes to attack. But we don’t have to. We just have to give it God, thank him for what he will do, and trust that his peace will protect us. This doesn’t guarantee that we will never be tempted to give in when attacks come. But it does guarantee that God’s peace is with us, fighting for us, guarding our hearts. I hope that this promise gives you the courage to not back down the next time anxiety threatens to bring doubt and confusion. Remember to give it to God, and stand in awe as he provides you with the peace that guards.

A family to cherish

Family. This six letter word causes different emotions to arise in each and every person as they read it. Everyone thinks about their own family and their own situation. However, it doesn’t matter what your family situation is. What matters is how you cherish the people you call family.

“Friends come and go, but family is with you forever.” My mom says this to me and my siblings constantly. This statement used to confuse me for two reasons. One reason is I wondered if this means that none of my friends are true friends, but instead they are just people who stick around for a little while and then leave me. The other reason is the question of people who come from broken families. 

The answer to the first question is absolutely not. True, there are some people who float in and out of your life, taking what they can and leaving you behind for good. But that is not always the case. There are some people that are simply seasonal friends. These friends are in your life for only a season before your paths separate, but that does not mean that they are not true friends. 

Having seasonal friends does not mean that you put less into these friendships. It does not mean that these friends are not true friends. It just means that some people are in your life for a short amount of time before their lives take them in a different direction than your life takes you. So cherish these friends.

The answer to the second question is a little bit harder to pin down. There are so many people that are suffering because of their complicated family life. There are some people that say they do not have a family at all. So how can it be true that your family is with you forever? I think there is a deeper meaning to this than there appears to be.

First, I want to address that some people do not have a relationship with their families at all. This can be the cause of pain and heartache, but know that you are not alone. Just because your biological family is not there for you, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have a family. Look to your church family for support. They are always there for you. This family does last forever.  

Second, there is no perfect family. No matter how put together a family looks on the outside, there are always different kinds of problems in the privacy of their home. But people focus too much on what is wrong with their family instead of focusing on what is really important. Your family is there for you in each and every situation. They are the ones who have seen you at your worst as well as at your best. They know your mannerisms and they know your habits. You don’t want to throw that away. 

If your family has some problems, do not dismiss these problems and do not dismiss your family because of these problems. Your family might struggle with differences about religion or differences about politics. Don’t let this cause a breach in your relationship with your family. It might seem as if you’d be better off just getting away and ignoring them, but that does not fix the problem - it only causes more heartache.

Going off to school these past two years and being away from my family has made me realize how much they mean to me and how I should have cherished the times at home with them much more than I did. Don’t wait for a time that makes you realize this. Realize it while you are still with them. Hold on to every moment with them, and don’t take it for granted. Because despite the differences and the arguments, your family really is with you for life.

The reality of resolutions

As Jan. 1 draws near, the sounds of ice cream scooping into bowls, candy wrappers tearing open and chocolate being stuffed into mouths can be heard. But once Jan. 1 hits, the sounds of treadmills starting, weights clinking and diets being created can be heard. For most people, these latter sounds are heard for a few weeks, maybe even a month or two, before the former sounds start creeping their way back into normal routine.

Why is it that New Year’s resolutions are so hard to keep? Now, I have to be completely honest and say that I rarely ever make a resolution, mostly because I know I will never be able to keep it up for a whole year. So I always end up thinking, why bother?

What really is the point to making a New Year’s resolution if it’s just going to get broken? What’s the point if you’re only going to feel like a failure when you do break it? I think people miss the point of this promise. Because that’s what it is. It’s a promise to yourself.

One of the things that is important to understand about a resolution, whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or just a resolution that you make on your own, is that it tests your discipline. One part of my resolution is to exercise at least three times a week. This will definitely test my discipline! I love to exercise, but once next semester, classes and social activities start up again, I know that I will find the excuse of being too busy to go to the gym. My discipline will be tested and I will have to decide if I am going to keep my promise to myself.

But herein lies the beauty of keeping your resolution: Once that year is over, you realize you are stronger than you thought you were. You realize you have just made yourself stronger. It really does not matter what your resolution is. It could be eating healthier, it could be making a point to stay in touch with that friend from high school, it could be memorizing a different Bible verse each week.

It doesn't matter what it is  - as long as it is attainable - but it does matter that you realize why it is important to keep that resolution. It teaches you to follow through on a promise. If you can’t keep a promise to yourself, how can you keep promises to others? It teaches you that you really do have the will power to do the things you set your mind to do.

So this year, as the temptations come to not follow through on your resolution, remember that your resolution is not something you decided to do just because it sounded like a good thing to do. Remember that it is a promise, a promise that you made to yourself. It is teaching you how to make reachable goals, how to keep your promises and how to grow stronger as an individual.