A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. -Proverbs‬ ‭14:30‬ ‭(NIV)

It always seems like everyone else on Facebook and social media are having a better life than you. They’re going to exotic places, eating food you’ve never had, smiling and laughing all the time, and not having any problems at all. You might think that your life is just terrible and misguided by comparison. It’s like you’re trudging through yet another desert, and they’re always in paradise.

In truth, what you’re seeing is an oasis in the desert, much like what you consume when you read or watch the news: you’re getting a curated collection of stories, carefully selected for consumption. It’s just a very small subset of all the stories of people’s lives.

What to do?

When you look at your social media feed, remind yourself that everyone who’s posted to it has chosen to share what you see. Likewise, you’re also choosing what to share and not share. Believe it or not, your life may seem like an oasis to others!

Most importantly, think twice about before you post. How would your post be read and received on the other end? Does what you post add any sort of value to their lives, and/or in some way lift them up? And, is what you’re posting making God known and glorified?

I can honestly say that I haven’t thought enough about those questions before making some posts. But I certainly do make more of an effort to be more conscientious as I go.

Just remember: the grass may seem greener in that social media oasis on the screen before you, but it’s all a curated illusion. Our green grass, our peace, is found within us, hard won through the blood of Christ.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. -Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)

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. -Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

In 1939, ahead of correctly predicted German attacks, the British government produced motivational posters with the words KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON in preparation for what would become World War II. After they were rediscovered in 2000, you see adaptations of that poster’s wording everywhere, for anything you can think of.

Well, for me, it is the perfect motivator and head straightener to remember to KEEP CALM AND TRUST IN GOD.

I get it now–in practice, not just in theory. I’m learning. Slowly, but surely.

My emotional and mental state used to be at the whim of my circumstances. If events and people were especially stressful, or even hostile, I’d either shut down and put up walls, or add fuel to the fire by escalating the tension.

It seemed like there was no amount of effort on my own part I could exert to improve a situation. And my flesh kept wanting me to act to fix it, but in ways I was conditioned and could understand: maybe backing down or enabling when I shouldn’t, or standing up–but in the wrong way. Life just seemed hopeless.

After I accepted Christ in my heart, it still took a while to understand what this peace was that I kept reading about in His Word…this peace that other believers would tell me about. I wanted to experience it myself.

The keys, I learned, were these:

• In prayer, truly give my burdens to the Lord. Not just say I am in prayer, but to actually give them to Him. I often imagine them as heavy stones in a sack I’m carrying, lightening my load as I take them out and put them before Him.
• Truly surrender my situation and outcome to Him. That meant letting go of everything I held dear, and praying it all up to Him. All I had to do was act in faith and obedience to Him.
• Pray persistently in true belief, in Jesus’ name, for the desires and dreams He has placed in my heart will be done, and that they glorify Him and align with His plans.
• Act as He has called His children to act…as Jesus truly would have acted. In the face of unhealthy or abusive treatment and wrongdoing, Jesus stood up and called it for what it was. He was no doormat!
• Leave my pain- and risk-averse comfort zone, and step out in faith, completely trusting Him. Eyes on Him, not the waves…not the giant.

And now, when faced with seemingly impossible situations where my old self would’ve thrown up his hands and resigned to a life of disappointment, the ultimate perspective changer has shown me that all things can be used to accomplish His plans, and that I only need to live according to His calling. That means to live true to Him, no matter how things look. I’m no longer pulled by the strings of circumstances, but instead detached so I can see the strings and act independently of them, without getting yanked around.

If we truly trust in God, His Word, and His promises, pray our burdens to Him, and walk as He calls us to, His peace overwhelms us. And there is nothing we cannot face.

In spite of all this, he praised the Lord and held fast to Him as a refuge in unbelievably turbulent circumstances.

Though it’s very hard sometimes to let go, we have to remember that we can always take refuge in His peace, regardless of what’s happening around us.

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:

It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin — oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! —
My sin — not in part but the whole, —
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night, oh my soul!

Today’s soundtrack

Another agent shared this live version of the hymn. Enjoy.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. -John 14:27

There is foundational peace I never knew existed till I surrendered my life to Jesus. After that, any time I was not at peace was when I would let my flesh mind and senses be overwhelmed by circumstances (my old way of living), and the raucous noise of the wind and storm would drown out the quiet, still voice inside that was assuring me the entire time that I was absolutely fine and safe.

So, every day we agents work on cultivating the quiet, and an important way to start is to have quiet time to start the day to talk to God, even if for a few minutes. That may sound impossible when you have kids, a hectic schedule, a crazy commute, or all of the above. But as you work on it, you can carve out a minute…then three…then five…and so on…it might be the moments before you get out of bed, when you’re getting dressed, and so on.

Eventually, you will even have quiet time in the midst of a noisy, chaotic room, where you can shut it all out and talk to God anyway. Don’t lose sight of the fact that we are just passing through this world, and that we are not of this world…so, we should do our best not to get caught up in the distractions that enemy would love us to get lost in.

When Jesus walked the earth, and He assured us that He gave us peace in our hearts, that assurance gave us the footing in our souls that we needed to walk this earth ourselves and fear no man or circumstance. His sacrifice for our salvation gave us the peace and assurance of His unfathomable love and comfort that can carry us through anything life can dish out. We just need to be still and listen.

O you of little faith, why did you doubt? -Matthew 14:31

In Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus has his disciples stay in the boat while He goes up to the mountain to pray. When He came back down, the wind and waves had carried the disciples and their boat out to sea, and Jesus walked out on the sea to meet them. Naturally, the disciples were sure they were seeing an apparition, but Jesus lets them know it is He.

Peter asked Jesus to prove it by commanding Peter to come to Him on the water, and Jesus obliged. And Peter did just that!…till he took his eyes off Jesus and started sinking and crying for Jesus to rescue him. Jesus caught him, and they both got into the boat. As soon as they did, the wind ceased, and the disciples worshiped Him.

Even nonbelievers know about Jesus walking on water. But the concept that Jesus communicates to His disciples, as He does to each agent of light, is to have faith in the face of seemingly insurmountable or impossible circumstances. He teaches this over and over again through the New Testament.

But do we really get it? Or do we get it till things get rough?

God’s word repeatedly shows us that He can accomplish inexplicable and unbelievable (to nonbelievers) things through us, if only we will let Him through faith.

No matter what wind and waves are crashing against you and tossing you around, remember that He is with you. Train the eyes and ears of your heart on Jesus, and His overwhelming, supernatural peace will diminish the roar of the waves and wind into a whimper. Focus on Him, and you can have peace anywhere, in any situation.

And underlying all of that, you have stresses and pains in your heart that make addressing all of the above even more difficult.

Well, all of those are distractions. Yes, even the pains in your heart. This is where we really, really have to take our eyes off ourselves and our worldly obligations, and refocus on Him. Keeping our eyes trained on Him gives us a supernatural peace in the face of anything, because we’re not looking at the waves in our lives. And, most importantly, it helps us get our priorities straight again. It’s amazing how your list of “must do’s” will change when you refocus and put Him back on the top of that list, as He should!

I say all this because this is something I’m constantly working on, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

This Pocket Fuel devotional speaks more about distractions:

Many things will cross your path. Some will enhance and invigorate your journey, others bring destruction and pain… Through it all, keep your eyes focused on God. Don’t get distracted, steady your mind and heart and enjoy this beautiful life you’ve been given. No matter what blessing or heartache has overwhelmed you, God will lead you through, healing and refining you step by step.

Read the whole devotional at Pocket Fuel »