Are there ever moments when you feel like you're overwhelmed and held down by the many tasks you have to do?
My challenge for you is to simply pause for a moment. Take in the familiar sounds around you. Now, maybe it's kids playing on a nearby playground, the printer going off like crazy with papers from students getting homework done at the last minute, the sound of heavy traffic on the street, suitemates talking rather loudly or maybe even the sound of your own thoughts. Whatever it is, it's most likely distracting.
These are things I deal with on a daily basis. These so-called "distractions" that take me away from getting things done are at times overwhelming, bothersome and, well, annoying. There's a list of unchecked boxes of things I have yet to accomplish, a phone that's full of notifications waiting for me to check, 20 or so unread emails waiting on my response, a stack of books waiting to be read, 10 or so articles to read and edit in the span of two days and obnoxiously loud suite mates who make going to bed at a timely manner nearly impossible. At times, it seems like the workload is endless. I often think to myself, "If only the work could do itself."
It is in moments such as these that we are called to take a deep breath, and maybe take a minute or two to collect ourselves, in order to focus on the tasks at hand. For me, it's more than just worldly distractions, but rather a disturbance of my soul. It comes in many different forms. Sometimes it comes one worry at a time, and others it comes like a tsunami, where it's suddenly consuming me.
In the devotional I read this morning, by Sheila Walsh, it talked about this exact topic. God works in mysterious ways to say the very least. This topic of peace is something that I myself have been wrestling with for the longest time now. It is not the easiest to accept at times. In John 16, Jesus is talking with the disciples about this so-called "peace." While reading through this passage, I was slightly confused on what was going on, so I looked into the passage some more.
After doing further research on John 16, my conclusion was this:
God is peace.
John 16:33 lays out this concept of peace for us very nicely:
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
When first reading this verse, I was immediately comforted. I had never thought about Jesus being defined as peace, but rather as Him being the one to give it. With this new perspective in mind, I was finally able to start to "letting go, and letting God". My worrying has subsided, and my soul is now a little more at ease. At the end of the devotional, it said something that is now in my top favorite quotes:
Peace is not the absence of trouble; it is the presence of Christ.
My prayer for you, as well as myself, is this: For all of the worrying and distractions to disappear. For us to grasp this new found idea that God is peace and to start applying that to our lives.
Now, this is, of course, easier said than done, but it's at least a start to eliminating some of the insanity from our lives. Like me, you may be thinking, "Now, how the heck do I do that?" Well, the solutions are easier than you think. Some tangible ways to start making God your source of peace can be as simple as praying about it. Another way to do this is talk to a close friend or family member about it and have them speak truth into your life regarding this. I promise you, you will be amazed by what can be said. Lastly, you can start with plainly spending time with God and with your own thoughts, and be still (Psalm 46:10).
