Replace Anxious thoughts With God's Peace

Photo by Bastian Pudill on Unsplash

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you". -- 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Have you ever lost something valuable? It's frustrating to lose your keys or one of your favorite shoes but losing a child takes loss to a whole new level.

As a mother of four, I am embarrassed to say my husband and I have lost sight of our children several times, but each time, after a few moments of frantic searching, we found them.

I can’t imagine how Mary and Joseph felt when they lost Jesus for three days. Just thinking about this scenario stirs up anxious thoughts and outcomes. Understandably, losing a child is a quick path to anxiety.

“When they couldn’t find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for Him there. Three days later, they finally discovered Him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to Him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for You everywhere.” “But why did You need to search?” He asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house? (Luke 2:45-49, NLT)

What strikes me about this encounter is Jesus’ response to His parents. He expected them to know He was perfectly fine with His father and to find peace in that realization.

But anxious thoughts sweep in like a strong wind of fear, worry, a loss of control, or sometimes no logical reason at all.

We all have difficulties and struggles that can lead to anxious thoughts. So, what can we do? What does a Christian do to experience peace despite facing dire circumstances?

This tension of real faith doesn’t always make anxious thoughts disappear, and pretending it should can actually make things harder. Throughout Scripture, people who deeply trusted God still wrestled with fear.

A Christian response to anxiety isn’t about never feeling overwhelmed. It’s about what we do with anxious thoughts and how we can turn our fears over to God.

As Peter wrote in his epistle, we need to give our worries and fears to God because He cares for us. Peter is saying we will have worries and fears.

When experiencing anxious thoughts, we will find peace and rest in God's presence. In His presence, there is joy and clarity.

We have to fully believe that He cares for us and then rest in His love, knowing that, regardless of the outcome, He walks with us.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Have you ever deeply invested in something emotionally and then things didn't work out as you expected? How did this make you feel?

2. Where do you turn when you struggle and have anxious thoughts?

3. As a Christian, what can you do to experience peace despite facing dire circumstances?