We seem to be living in a time where peace can feel so elusive. One moment it looks like things are getting better, the next we stumble onto yet another disaster or fear causing news.
It has become the pattern of the world and media, unfortunately, and it is steeping into our way of life and family.
Fear is a draining manipulator. All great things and all great people accomplishing amazing things are stopped when they let fear get in their way.
If it’s not overcome, fear can bind in chains when allowed to sit long enough and grow deep enough roots.
It can begin with a simple thought that can send a heart and mind spiraling down and leaves a person feeling helpless, alone, and isolated.
Much like many are feeling in the world right now.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
Fear does not have to be our family’s way of life. It does not have to dictate how we teach our children or how we react to situations that come up.
It is not what God wants for us.
As a perfect Heavenly Father, God wants us to live a life of security and trust in him. That should be our way of life and what is instilled in our family.
But in order for that to happen we need to first evaluate ourselves.
Do I live in peace? Can I say that I am a peaceful person?
Am I tense on a day to day because of what I hear and see on social media?
Do I use fear to teach or get my children to do what I ask?
If we want to promote an atmosphere of peace in our family, then we need to uncover all roots of the “fear seed” that were planted and allowed to grow.
This means facing the uncomfortable things that may have been pushed aside for years because they hurt too much to deal with.
Or it may mean having difficult conversations and confessing burdens that you’ve been carrying for far too long.
Maybe fear has been a chain passed through your family’s generations which you had not realized up until now. This is what God wants to heal in you, so that your family as a result can be healed from its effects and begin to walk towards a lifestyle of peace.
The truth is that if these roots of fear are not dealt with, everything that is going on in the world right now will only add to the burden and become an adversary to the peace you long to have in your family.
Sometimes we don't even realize that we carry these deep rooted seeds of fear.
God can and will bring these situations to light so you can deal with them, and he’ll do it in a way that is not harsh or condemning. That’s just not who he is.
I remember a while back a critter got into our living room. I don't remember if it was an insect or a lizard, but I wanted it out. I appreciate that they have a purpose in nature, but I’d much rather appreciate them outside. So whenever one does get in, I tear the place apart in a mission to get it out! However in a conversation with my husband he warned me that the way I reacted was going to pass down my “fear” of these critters onto our girls. To which my reaction was “how dare you call me fearful?” I declared how unafraid of anything I was and how fear was not a part of my life, much less fear of a tiny animal!
A few days went by and God, as humorous as he can be, started using this scenario to show me there were areas in my life where I did indeed live in fear, and that fear was deeply influencing how I was raising my girls. It was a tough pill to swallow, but I had to make a change.
We want our home to be a home of peace and security. Not a place of fear.
A home that can confidently walk relying on God as a provider and protector.
A home that sees him as our healer, great and mighty to overcome.
If we live in fear, we are telling God he is not enough.
How do we make that first step towards this healing that we need?
Come clear, honest and transparent to the feet of Jesus. He already knows the deepest parts of your heart, so no sense in trying to hide anything. Be liberated in his presence as you confess and unload all those heavy burdens, it is the most amazing feeling.
Then see how your behavior needs to change to be nurturing to your family.
Evaluate how you respond to your kids or your spouse.
How you react in situations.
Do you have a peaceful response or are people afraid to bring up certain topics with you?
All of these things can help you evaluate what it is you are bringing to your family.
Remember that you cannot control what others say or do, but you can control how you react.
Peace begins with you.
How often was Jesus insulted and attacked, yet he remained peaceful.
Even when he was arrested and his disciple Peter cut off the soldier’s ear (John 18:10), Jesus healed the man's ear and corrected Peter! Was that a response of an anxious and fearful person? No.
Imagine Jesus in his most tense moment, he knew what was going to happen.
Yet his reaction shows us all what we should always be. Confident in our Father’s greater plan, not reacting irrationally and impulsively in situations.
Maybe you have been this way for years, and to change seems impossible.
Maybe you’ve been overcome by everything all around you and it feels like you’re drowning.
But God is reaching out his hand to you, you just have to raise yours and grab it.
Even when it seems overwhelming, it is absolutely possible to live in peace. It’s a peace that ONLY comes from Jesus.
It comes from a relationship, not a religion.
It comes from humbling yourself and coming to God without holding anything back.
This peace will make your home a pleasant place to be in, full of life giving strength. More importantly your peace as a family will be rooted in a never ending source of life, who is our Heavenly Father.
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