By Dave Saviola, Arborbrook Financial Consulting Firm
Have you ever watched a great thriller or drama and found yourself emotionally wound-up during the show? You might have said, “That was a real cliffhanger!” or, “I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!”
We probably don’t give it much thought, but did you find yourself a bit more relaxed the second time you watched it? How about the third? Fifteenth time?
I have been thinking a lot about peace lately. It seems we are wired to be anxious and worried when there is uncertainty. Just like watching that movie, when someone turns to me and says (in their most assuring tone), “Don’t worry, it’s going to be OK,” I feel good for about one second, and then the moment the story twists again, I’m right back on the edge of my seat.
Many of us are feeling like we are living through a block-buster thriller movie right now that no one has seen before. I’ve also noticed that there seems to be this subset of the population that has a tremendous calm and peace about them. These folks couldn’t have seen this movie before; so, how are they so relaxed? So confident?
The answer is quite simple; they all have one thing in common: They know how this story eventually ends. In John 16, Jesus is telling his friends about trials they will face and about the love of God the Father. At the end of this exhortation he says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Peace. What an incredible gift that washes away worry and anxiety. Not because trials don’t exist; not because difficult decisions don’t need to be made; but because when you are confident in who Jesus is and what he did for you, you know how the movie ends. You know what is to come. And knowing the truth of that glorious future gives us a peace that surpasses human understanding.
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