Settled Peace In An Anxious Culture - Faithful Focus in a Distracted Culture

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:26-27, ESV)

If anxious energy could be harnessed like solar or wind power, I am convinced that I could personally send NASA to the furthermost reaches of space. I am straitlaced and type A by personality and anxious by sin nature. When you place that personality in a world full of upheaval, you end up with extremely high levels of anxiety and fear.

It doesn’t take much to become anxious or troubled in today’s culture, does it? While technology promises freedom, it often delivers anxiety. News channels and feeds tell us almost instantly nearly every current global tragedy. Our human hearts have limited capacity, as do our minds; we simply cannot hold the burdens of all the world. Only God can do that.

While technology and the age of information may have exacerbated it, anxiety is an ancient problem that finds its roots in the fall that took place in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve turned away from God and sinfully looked to themselves as their own source, the seeds of anxiety were planted. With self at the center, we are bound to fail since we are limited, fallible creatures. However, with Christ at the center and as the source, we have great hope and stability (Colossians 1:17).

Much like Peter who was able to walk on water when his eyes were fixed on Jesus but began to sink when he looked around at the waves, we become anxious when our attention isn’t fixed on Christ (Matthew 14:22-23). When we look at our finances or our families or the state of our country or world, we have countless reasons to fear. However, when we look at Christ, we remember that he who carried the weight of our sins on the cross can most assuredly carry the weight of our cares and worries. As we trace the infinite care that Christ showed sinners on the cross, we are quicker to cast our cares and burdens on him (1 Peter 5:7).

When our gaze is fixed on the person and work of Jesus Christ, we have access to peace even in a world (or a heart) filled with turmoil and trouble. Peace isn’t a set of circumstances; it is the presence of Jesus Christ who died to give us full access to God forever. When our hearts are being torn apart by anxiety or we feel like we are getting hit by one wave of sorrow after another, we can run right into the throne room of God. We have a high priest who empathizes with us and promises to give us mercy and help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16-18). In an anxiety-producing world, we have a peace-offering Savior.

Prayer:

Father, you have purchased peace for your people at the cost of the precious blood of your Son. Yet, we continually forget to look to him and enjoy the peace provided by his presence. We run to false refuges and harbor anxious hearts. Thank you for offering us a peace that passes understanding and that the world simply cannot comprehend. Please allow the peace of Christ to guard our hearts and minds as we live in a terribly anxious world. Amid instability, you are our security. Please posture us to receive your peace until we are forever in your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.