Anna Moore

Sometimes when I’m talking to members of my family, I get emotional. Angry, sad, almost anything but happy, it seems. It just how the conversations usually go. Something is almost always going wrong. Someone isn’t feeling well. Someone is complaining about politics, other family members, something else. Someone is just having a hard time, or everyone is.

It can be exhausting.

I try to listen and offer encouraging words or help somehow, but a lot of times my words fall short, go unheard, or are just empty. I feel this frequently.

What I want to say is there’s a better way. You don’t have to carry all of this by yourself. You don’t have to dwell on these bad things or these circumstances that are not ideal and not convenient.

Life isn’t perfect for anybody. We all have bad seasons. We all have to wait. We all hurt. We all suffer. For Christians, probably more so. But we don’t have to tread water all the time. We don’t have to live in this constant cycle of one bad thing after the next. Even if bad thing after bad thing happens, we can have peace if we have Christ. He gives us peace. He is our peace.

Trust me, I am someone who needs to hear this just as much as anyone else but I want to let you know today, and every day, you don’t have to walk this journey alone. You don’t have to carry this heavy weight of whatever is bogging you down physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, etc.

Jesus tells us in Him we may have peace. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). What does this mean? God is greater than any of your problems. He has overcome them. The Father sent His only Son, Jesus, to live among us as one of us so He could die for us. Why die for us? Because He’s the only One holy and worthy and perfect and therefore the only possible option for atoning sins, and He did it not just for one person’s sins, but for the entire world – which is full of sin and unholiness. He did it even for those who would never put their faith in Him. He did it out of His abundance of love of the Father and His creation (including us) and because He is obedient to the Father, and it was the Father’s will for Him to live like us so He could die for us. And then He overcame death. He beat sin. He defeated all the hard things.

Put your trust in the Lord and let Him carry this thing with you. There is a better way than trying to deal with it yourself. Stop working so hard to fix everything that’s out of your control. Pray. Ask for help from family and friends. Tell someone. Pray. Trust the Lord. Read His Word and learn about Who He is so you CAN trust Him faithfully. Meditate on His Word. Read scriptures repetitively until they speak to your soul. Put your faith in the One who is always faithful – Jesus Christ. He will never not be with you when you put your faith in Him. He will never not have good intentions, though His good will not always look like what we may think is good. His good is always better. He sees the full picture.

He’s never done anything that wasn’t good. He’s never not kept a promise. He’s never left anyone who put their faith in Him.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Stop laboring. Let Him show you the easier way. Let Him give you rest.

More scriptures to meditate on:

Psalm 23

Psalm 4

“And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Daniel 10:19

“Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

Book I recommend for further reading about Jesus’ character: