Counselor's Corner: Let Jesus Calm the Storm Around You

On the Gulf Coast where I live, Hurricane Nate is threatening to barrel down on the coastal region this weekend. I noticed today that when I went to pick up groceries from Wal-Mart, many were panicked and anxious as this storm was threatening our area. I did my best to get out of Wal-Mart quickly because I did not want to get panicky myself as I was observing and listening to the many who were anxious.

There are weather storms and there are the “storms” of life. I had a mix of this last week of the storms of life and a storm that is currently headed to my hometown. For many that encounter any type of storm a first reaction is to panic, and then to fret and fear. I admit my first reaction to any type of storm is not always calmness, but I am learning that God always takes care of me.

If you listen to people who are spouting off their anxieties about the “storms” around, or if you watch or read the negative news reports it is very likely that you will become anxious.

Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child. When you remain calm in the midst of a storm it shows your trust in God. Storms will often expose your lack of trust in God.

How do you remain calm when storms of any type threaten your peace?

1.      Don’t react. Take a deep breath and go sit quietly before the Lord. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak calmness to your fears.

2.      Don’t copy what the anxious and fearful are doing. If you listen to others who are panicking it can cause you to begin to worry by putting thoughts in your head you did not even think of before. Watch who you listen to when storms come.

3.      Don’t speak out your worries. Go to the Father and pray, giving him your concerns. Use your authority in Jesus Christ to command your storms to lessen or to complete leave.

4.      As simple as this may sound, trust God. Trust God that He will take care of what is concerning you. Peace comes only when you trust God.

5.      Be patient as you wait for the storm to pass. All storms eventually pass. Don’t buy into negative thinking that storms last forever. In this world there is a mix of good days and difficult days. Stay focused more on your good days and allow those times to outshine in your mind.

Meditate and reflect on these scriptures:

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:29

You of little faith, why are you so afraid? Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8:26

Peace in the Storm

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

We cannot avoid strife in this world, but with God we can know perfect peace, even in turmoil. Keeping your thoughts and trust in God will keep you in peace. We can easily lose our peace, when we look at the surrounding circumstances in our lives and in the world.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds trough Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

God’s peace is different than the world’s peace. True peace is not found in positive thinking, the absence of conflict and strife, but it comes from knowing that God is in control. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety and pressures of this world.

“Peace I leave 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

Unlike the world’s peace, which is usually defined by the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance. With Christ’s peace, we can have no need to fear the present or the future. If you are feeling full of stress, anxiety or worry, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with Christ’s peace. Christ can give you a peace in the midst of the storm. Fear, uncertainty, doubt, worry and numerous other forces are at war with us, they can cause us to feel anxious. The peace of God can overpower all of these forces, and offer us comfort in the place of conflict and stress. Jesus says He will give us that peace if we are willing to accept it from Him.

Peace from God comes from time spent with God, listening and obeying to His voice over the voices of the enemy, and asking God to give you peace in the midst of conflict, turmoil, and chaos.