Month: December 2019

A Recipe for Peace in a Season of Stress

Last week a friend from Bible study shared a story I’ve been pondering ever since. She was on a walk with her close friend who is Jewish. As they were talking about the stress and busyness of the holiday season, her friend made an unsettling observation: “It seems like all of my Christian friends are so stressed in the weeks leading up to Christmas.” Being Jewish, she seemed relieved she didn’t have to participate in all the activities surrounding the celebration of Christ’s birth. The joy and peace we sing about in carols wasn’t evident among the believers she knew. Instead, she saw endless to-do lists and overwhelming obligations.

We could blame this on a lot of things in our culture—commercialism, materialism, capitalism or even the paganizing of a once holy holiday. And while these things might be partly to blame, the truth is that all of us have the tendency to float with the current of our culture if we don’t intentionally swim against it, even when we’re celebrating the birth of our Savior.

We would be wise to listen more carefully to messages in the music of the season. Handel’s Messiah, for example, is taken straight from Old Testament prophecies from Isaiah. It tells us about the coming of our Savior, Jesus. Take a look at this portion:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV)

That last name for Jesus, Prince of Peace, holds the key to moving from a chaotic Christmas season to a peaceful one. Studying a few passages, I discovered a recipe for peace laid out in Scripture and thought I’d share a few essential ingredients:

Disciplining Our Focus: Peace doesn’t happen automatically. One of my favorite verses says: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV). To be steadfast means to be resolute, committed, firm, and unwavering. We find peace when we fix our minds on God’s trustworthiness, knowing that He is good and faithful. A quick scan of my concordance revealed three different passages where we are urged “to seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14b, 2 Tim 2:22, 1 Peter 3:11). To seek and pursue something requires discipline and ongoing effort. We must relentlessly eliminate distractions of lesser things that cloud our thinking and lead us toward stress and anxiety. Reading the Bible and praying daily helps us focus on the truth we need to remain peaceful throughout the day.

Following God’s Ways: The Christmas story recorded in Luke’s gospel includes angels rejoicing over the birth of Jesus singing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14, NIV) Psalm 119 helps us to understand that God’s favor rests on people who follow His ways: “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” (Psalm 119:165, NIV). Although it often means moving in the opposite direction of our culture, living God’s way leads to the peace we all crave.

Relying on the Holy Spirit: We aren’t going to find peace by trying harder. We’re not going to experience it by pretending to be calm when we’re freaking out on the inside. The only way to find true peace is with God’s help. Jesus explained this to His disciples, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:26-7, NIV)

The Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s truth through Scripture. We engage Him by asking for His help and letting Him show us how to apply it to our daily lives. The peace He gives isn’t based on circumstances going the way we want—that’s worldly peace. His peace goes so much deeper and encompasses so much more.

Leaning into God changes our thoughts, which changes our lives: “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. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9, NIV)

If you’re struggling with stress and anxiety, here’s my prayer for you: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16, NIV)

Handel’s Messiah that I mentioned earlier includes 53 movements divided in three parts. It usually takes 2 ½- 3 hours to perform. I remember sitting through it at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco a few times as a fidgety child. (I liked getting dressed up and going to the city but my parents failed to mention how long the performance would last!) Below are two different portions. The first video includes the lyrics that call Jesus Prince of Peace. 

This second video includes the part I always liked best, the Hallelujah Chorus. It shows the power of letting God’s peace invade your Christmas busyness. If you’re like me, it may bring a few tears to your eyes (in a good way). Enjoy!

Tying a Bow on Genesis

The book of Hebrews tells us that God’s Word is alive and active. Having just finished studying Genesis for the third time, I can attest to the truth of this statement. I’ve delved into the stories of Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebekah, Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Joseph, Judah, and Tamar at different seasons in my life; although the tales remain the same, the truth I glean from them continues to expand.

Here are a few of the things that stood out to me in my most recent journey through Genesis:

  1. God is sovereign.  He possesses supreme and ultimate power. He gives us free will and doesn’t force us to follow His ways, but He is still the One who is ultimately in control. Because of this, I’m better off trusting Him than trying to do things my own way.
  2. God keeps His promises. It may take a long time, but He does come through in the end. (Think of Sarah, who waited 25 years to get pregnant with the child promised by God.) This means He’s trustworthy and I can rest in that knowledge even when I don’t see how He’s working in the moment.
  3. God is faithful. He remains true to us even when we doubt Him, make poor choices, or disobey. Seeing the Lord’s faithfulness to Abraham and his descendants despite their many blunders encourages me. Even when we fail, God’s plans prevail. We are fickle, but He is faithful.
  4. God is worthy. He deserves our honor, praise, and obedience. Seeing how He accomplishes His plans despite the ways people try thwart them (intentionally or unintentionally) inspires me to yield to Him as Lord of my life.

Knowing these truths, I’d be wiser to exert my energy trusting God than trying to control things using my own strength and wisdom. I’m striving to be less anxious when I don’t see or understand what the Lord is doing. My goal is to trust Him as I wait for answers, clarity, or direction. Rather than concerning myself with how events unfold, I want to focus more on what God is teaching me and how He wants to use me with the people and circumstances I encounter. I want to be less focused on why He’s allowed certain things in my life and more attuned to how He can use them to deepen my faith and impact others.

Reading the stories of Sarah and Rebekah has convicted me of my tendency to take matters into my own hands instead of trusting God. I overthink many things and try to play out scenarios multiple steps ahead of where I am. Rather than trusting God with how a situation will unfold, I try to anticipate each option and make contingency plans for it. My knack for being capable and productive doesn’t always leave room for God to work in His way and His timing. Realizing this is humbling and convicting.

The story of Joseph provides powerful examples for training me in righteousness. Seeing his faithfulness to God in difficult times while surrounded by unbelievers inspires me to be true to God and His ways. Like Joseph, I want to be honest and authentic about the Lord’s presence in my life instead of downplaying it in certain company. I’m also inspired to follow Joseph’s example by using my gifts to bless others in every setting, not just ones where people already love and honor God. I don’t want to be timid about pointing others to the solid foundation He provides.

Studying Genesis also bolsters my faith in the consistency of God’s Word from Old Testament to New. It always delights me to recognize the many elements that point us toward Christ. The lives of Joseph and Judah include many examples that I’ve discussed in other posts. During this season of studying Genesis, I was also struck by Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:

“He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.  I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’” (Genesis 28:12-15, NIV)

Until Jen Wilkin’s teaching in God of Covenant, I’d never understood that the stairway between heaven and earth is Christ Himself. When we reach toward Jesus to intercede for us, we stand at the gate of heaven. He is the mediator between God and humans—the One who makes it possible for us to access the Almighty.

The ten weeks of studying the book of beginnings have come to an end. The “seed plot of the Bible” has provided rich soil for digging into relevant topics for our lives today. The stories and people in Genesis are messy and complicated, but God used them for His redemptive purposes, just as He does with us. Some situations make us scratch our heads in confusion or blush at sordid details; we wonder how a sacred book could be filled with such broken and sinful people. And yet, it’s these unsanitized stories and flawed characters that show Scripture’s authenticity. They give us hope that no one is disqualified from being accepted by God or used to advance His kingdom.

Understanding these truths prompts me to pause for a moment of worship. “King of Kings” by Hillsong Worship beautifully shares the story of the gospel. Listen now and be in awe of our sovereign, faithful God who keeps His promises and is worthy of our praise.

Jen Wilkin, God of Covenant: A Study of Genesis 12-50, Lifeway Press 2018.

The phrase “seed plot of the Bible” was originally coined by Arthur W. Pink in Gleanings in Genesis.