Day 30 - Take What’s Given

A Weightless Devotional

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.” —John 14:27

All behavior is belief-driven, so it should come as no surprise that Jesus would say that the antidote to an anxious heart is belief—not in your own strength or understanding, but in God and in His promises. He offers us the gift of a belief that God is sovereign, that He is in control, and that He is good—even in the midst of difficulty. This belief is the foundation for your peace. When you take God’s sovereignty and love as fact, you let go of the need to control everything, because that’s His job, and He’s good at it. And besides, you’re not a thief—you don’t steal from God!

Your awareness that things are out of your control can either become a blessing or a curse. For the anxious, it’s a curse; for the faithful, a blessing. The truth is that most of our anxiety comes from the fear that things are out of our hands. And they are. But fear is not a healthy response to that fact; faith is. Knowing that God is in control and that His control is stronger, better, and more beneficial than any control you could exert is a cause for peace. Anxiety is born when we blame our circumstances on other people, the weather, luck, fate—anything, but God.