Peace > Panic

Does anyone besides me have a love/hate relationship with the news? On one hand, I want to be informed about what’s going on around me. On the other hand, it’s depressing! Sure, some news shows may feature one or two feel-good segments with happy news, but for the most part, any given newscast is full of doom and gloom. So, although I follow the news for information and education, I often come away feeling overwhelmed and anxious. If you find yourself feeling afraid, stressed & depressed at the chaos around you, stand on God’s promise that He alone is our source of peace – and not just any peace! Even in the most chaotic circumstances, His peace surpasses anything we can understand! (Philippians 4:7) Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives."  

From politics to economics, natural disasters, international wars, etc., there’s no shortage of bad news in the headlines. If we let those things hold our focus, it’s only natural for anxiety to creep in. That’s when I remind myself of these truths: Jesus is our King, and His authority is not shaken by political leadership or earthly powers. Regardless of who holds office, our allegiance belongs to Him. God knows everything we need, before we even ask Him, and He has promised to supply all of our needs. Our trust is in Him, not in the ebbs & flows of the economy. Headlines of natural disasters don’t need to cause panic when we remember the One who speaks to the wind & waves...remember when the storm raged, and the disciples feared for their lives? Jesus was asleep in the boat, calm and untroubled. When they woke Him, He simply spoke to the wind and waves, “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39). This is the same authority He has in our lives today. In Matthew 24:6-8, Jesus spoke about wars & rumors of wars. There's certainly been no shortage of that in the news, either. Although an intense & complicated subject, Bible prophecy has always fascinated me. When I hear news of conflict between nations, it comforts me to remember that even those things are part of God's plan. (Side note: if you're following the current events with Israel & Iran, I encourage you to do a deep dive on how this all matches up with prophecies in the Bible, like Ezekiel 38-39, etc. This blog from Greg Laurie does a great job at breaking down prophecies that have already been fulfilled, and how what we're seeing in current events is either fulfilling or setting the stage for fulfillment of other prophecies...it's pretty exciting!)  No matter how chaotic circumstances may be, we can call on the Lord to bring peace into our hearts, reminding us that He’s in control. Our faith in Him keeps us anchored. 

Yes, bad news seems to be everywhere we look...but when you have Jesus, you have extraordinary hope, even in the face of bad news because of the Good News! In Romans 15:13, Paul writes, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him." The hope of Jesus covers any & all anxiety that we see or read in the headlines of the news. Choose peace over panic and keep your eyes on HIM!