You are well aware that there are many troubles in our world. We face wars, natural disasters, diseases, poverty, and other consequences of sin. Sometimes, these troubles can be so overwhelming that followers of Christ are tempted to focus on the troubles instead of on Jesus. When you center your heart and mind on the troubles of life you will become anxious and you will worry. Anxiety and worry will harm your mind and body eventually. If these feelings continue unchecked then it will lead to doubt and finally to turning away from God. I want to remind you of the Good News that you can respond to the troubles of this world by focusing on Jesus and then you will find peace. His peace is a gift He promises to give those who follow Him.

It is recorded in the New Testament book of John that Jesus said, 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.' Jesus alone brings us perfect peace. It is because of Jesus that you can know for certain that your feelings of anxiety are not from Him. Jesus does not condemn and so he does not bring anxiety.

When the troubles of life hurt you, you may be tempted to run away or to run to someone who you think can help or run to an old familiar, dysfunctional way of way of trying deal with the hurt. But, instead of running, you can rebuke those feelings of anxiety because you know those feelings are not from God and you can stand firm. You can stand firm knowing you belong to Jesus and that He will take care of you.

Here is how you can get the peace of Jesus. It is written in the New Testament book of Philippians, 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.' This means that when you are facing the troubles of life you can respond by praying to Jesus with a thankful heart and give your burden over to Him. When you have truly prayed through the situation, He will then replace your troubles with peace. You may not understand how Jesus will solve your problem or how He will gain the victory but you can know confidently He will do so! How wonderful it is that you can find peace in the middle of life's storms!

In life, we all will face troubles of many kinds. You might think that you can only gain peace when your problems are solved and your troubles are over. But, what Jesus is saying is that you can find peace even while your troubles seem to be at their worst. If you turn to Him, His strong presence will bring peace and you can confidently know that He will turn the matter you are facing into good.

So, how do you respond to the troubles of this world? I encourage you to stand firm in your love for Christ and be confident that He will take care of you. You can know without a doubt that Jesus loves you and is with you in the middle of life's storms. As you learn to give him your problems, you will find a peace that is beyond your understanding. You can then live in that peace as you focus your heart and mind on Jesus. As you travel life's journey I pray you will experience the new feeling of His peace and walk in the assurance of His ever-abiding presence which is with you always.