Some days in ministry are harder than others. Peace sometimes seems completely illusive. Today, guest blogger Rachel Lovingood shares a powerful message about finding peace. Perhaps you needed this today!
This week I heard myself say “Nothing surprises me anymore.” What about you? How has your week been? Any tough things come your way? Any unexpected or unwanted situations you have had to deal with?
The unexpected seems to be a normal part of our lives, especially as you lead in ministry and we really shouldn’t be surprised because Jesus warned us about this in John 16:33 “I have said these things to you that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.” Notice that he said “you will have tribulation” not you might or if tough times come your way. Jesus spoke with assurance that we would face potentially tough and even unpleasant things in our life BUT (this is one of those big buts in Scripture) But he said we can have peace in the midst of all of it.
I don’t know about you but I need that kind of peace especially if tribulation, hard times, suffering or distress is pretty much unavoidable in my life. So who of us needed to be reminded that peace is available for us? Maybe we need to read the rest of the verse in John 16—it says “But take heart, I have overcome the world.”
I LOVE this! Jesus has overcome the world. He is bigger than our tribulation. He is our peace and He overcomes. I think sometimes I get caught up in handling things on my own strength or understanding and when I do—you know what is missing?? Peace.
BUT when I take heart and remember the words our Savior spoke—that He has overcome then I can tap right back into the peace that passes understanding and that is the exact place I need to be.
How have you been relying on your own strength? Where are you missing peace? Girlfriend—He has overcome it all we just need to reach out and grab onto the promise of God that when tribulation comes—He will be our peace because He has overcome!!
Rachel Lovingood is the Next Generation Pastor’s wife and a women’s leader at Long Hollow Baptist Church,Hendersonville, Tennessee, as well as a Lifeway Ministry Multiplier. She co-authored the Bible study for ministers’ wives, In Our Shoes: Real Life Issues for Ministers’ Wives by Ministers’ Wives. She uses her passion for Christ, her energetic style and her sometimes crazy sense of humor to encourage and teach women to find the answers they need from the only true source of wisdom—the Bible. She is a wife (of a minister), a mom (of three fantastic kids), a friend, a writer, and a teacher. Her experiences working in youth ministry as well as women’s ministry in various churches across the country have developed in her a deep love for women and a mission to help enable them to live victoriously in spite of the struggles they face. Read more on Rachel’s blog here.