Welcome to “Going Deeper with the Word.” In this segment, we welcome people of all backgrounds, religious or not, to review the Word of God. The Word of God provides guidance, direction, and instructions for living our lives and walking with God.
We have just talked about ways to discover your inner calm. Now, I want us to slow down and go deeper with the Word of God together. We have looked at how this shows up in everyday life, so now let’s see how God speaks about this in the Bible.
Today, I want us to see what -God- says about finding calm in your life. Let’s start with 1 Peter 5 6-7. You can watch on the screen or follow along in your Bible.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
1 Peter 5:6-7
I chose this scripture today as a reminder that we can trust God for all of our anxieties, worries, and concerns. There is no situation too complex for God.
It is because of this that we can find inner calm, regardless of the circumstances and regardless of whatever stressors we may experience in life.
Do you find that it’s easy or difficult to hand over challenging circumstances to God? Consider a time where you felt overwhelmed and fraught with stress. Was your first inclination to handle the situation yourself or to hand it over to God? “Let us know in the comments”
Let’s have a look at another place in the Bible that speaks to finding inner calm Jeremiah 33:3.
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Jeremiah 33:3
This verse reminds us of the power of prayer. It is such a simple thing that it is often overlooked. There is no amount of prayer that is too much for God. Early in our walk with God, we pray when we need something, when we need to be bailed out, or need something to be fixed. I invite you to explore a relationship with God where you are speaking with Him conversationally throughout the day, sharing with Him your thoughts and observations moment to moment, and including Him in the areas of your life that are most important to you.
In this verse, we very clearly see that we can ask Him anything and He will answer. I believe that because of this reassurance, we can find inner calm, because we know and trust that God will be our guide.
How often do you pray? What steps can you take to make prayer a normal part of your daily routine? “Let us know in the comments”
Let’s look at one more verse.
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:9-11
In this scripture, the Apostle Paul reminds us that even God rested. It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of our careers, our education, and even our social circles. But we should always make sure to find rest. This is where the importance of self-care comes in, because exercising self-care is often a very healthy form of rest.
In the course of a week, when is your downtime? How do you practice self-care? Are you feeling a lack of rest in your life? If yes, what steps can you take to increase restfulness in your life? “Let us know in the comments”
Thank you for your time today as we explored the ways that we can find inner calm. It’s perfectly normal to have ups and downs and to have busyness and even overwhelm from time to time. Let us all be mindful to make time for peace and to make time to pursue inner calm in our lives so that we may be fully equipped to live the life that God has designed for us; a life of peace and joy.
If these verses spoke to you, share in the comments how they lifted you up or encouraged you. Be sure to keep coming back for all the messages in this series as we learn how God invites us into an intimate relationship with Him.
Have an amazing week, and we will catch you next time.
Bless you.
