In my last article I wrote about having true freedom in Christ over the bondage of sin. What does that true freedom look like?
Freedom in Christ can give us peace in difficult times. Each day things are getting more difficult with prices for gas at an all-time high, supply chain issues causing empty shelves at the grocery stores, and what is available costs more each time we go to the store. Our country is more divided than ever and now there is a war in Ukraine. So many people are under stress.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV).
With everyday life getting more stressful each day, we need to go before God in prayer. We need to tell God what our concerns are and ask Him to give us peace during these difficult times. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27 NKJV). That verse has always given me great comfort.
When I go through difficult times, I always pray with that verse and ask God to fill me with His peace, which is total and complete peace. The first time I prayed that, and I asked God to fill me with His peace, He put the following on my heart: When you are going through difficult times, are stressed out or angry, think of the love that I (God) have for you.
When I quiet my heart and think about the love God has for me His peace falls over me. That verse has given me so much comfort over the years.
There are so many distractions in the world today. So many of us are always looking at our phones, whether it is to check emails or social media. It is easy to find ourselves constantly watching the news when we are at home with all that is happening in the world today. There is nothing wrong with watching the news, but constantly watching it will add a lot of stress to your already stressful life.
With our daily responsibilities added on top of that, we feel overwhelmed and don’t have enough time in the day. My advice to people is take 30 to 60 minutes out of our day to read the Bible and pray. Turn off the TV, put down your phone, and you will find at least 30 minutes to spend with God. Making time to spend with God by reading His Word (the Bible) and praying will help you tremendously.
Tim Hammond is the pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church in Kingman, AZ.
