We live in a world full of stress and uneasiness, keeping our hearts troubled. There is uncertainty in every aspect of our lives and in the lives of those around us. Hearts are full of cares and anxieties.
We worry about the security of our jobs, controlling the monies coming in against the monies going out. We are concerned with our relationships with one another at home, at work, at school, and even at play. The world is full of broken relationships among family members and at all levels of society. We worry over the health of loved ones and for our own selves.
Are we going to be able to keep the pace we are keeping? How long before we have a mental or nervous breakdown trying to keep up with it all, trying to balance everything and keep everyone happy around us?
Many have turned to the things of this life to ease the pain of stress and uneasiness. Medication to numb the brokenness is available in many different forms in this life. Appearances do not always tell the true story about the condition of the hearts of those around us.
We have been schooled to ‘keep up appearances’ for the sake of our jobs and other relationships. Yet, when you look into the eyes (as the windows of the soul) of those you interact with on a daily basis, you begin to discern the uneasiness of their spirits, spirits that are full of worries and stress, crying out for peace and rest.
Mary and Martha
Mary and Martha were sisters. One day Jesus visited their home, and they were busy preparing a meal for Him and His disciples. Mary stops what she is doing to help Martha and sits down at the feet of Jesus to hear what He is saying to His disciples. Martha hears Jesus teaching, but she has a meal to prepare and becomes upset with Mary for leaving her to do all the work by herself. She asked Jesus to correct Mary and send her back to the kitchen.
“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work myself?” “Tell her to help me!”
Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Mary was not trying to be mean to her sister. Mary was just as concerned about being a good hostess as Martha. But Mary felt something in her spirit drawing her to hear the words that were coming from the mouth of her Lord. She was discerning that what she was hearing was more important than preparing supper or being a good helper to her sister and a good hostess to Jesus and the disciples.
Martha was missing the point altogether. She was so distracted by preparing the natural food that she was hearing Jesus, but she did not discern that what He was saying was ‘Spiritual Food’, food that was more needful than the earthly meal in her hands.
Jesus told the devil that Man shall not live by earthly bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. He also taught us that the words that He Speaks to us individually are full of Spirit and Life.
There is the ‘Logos’, or written Word of God, and then there is the ‘Rhema’, or spoken Word of God. Many people never get past the printed page of the Bible, because they stay distracted with the natural reasoning of their earthly minds. Paul said the natural man cannot know the things of God, because they are ‘Spiritually’ discerned. God has to open our ‘spiritual eyes of our spiritual man’ to be able to understand the things of God. He will gladly do this when we ask with the right motives, to glorify Him and not our own egos.
Jesus said to not allow our hearts to be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me, and not to allow the cares of this life to choke out the Word of God in our lives.
Could it be this is why the world is so full of stress and uneasiness? Why our hearts are so full of care?
The devil knows better than we do, that the good seed of the Word of God cannot produce good fruit in our lives when the ground of our hearts are full of stress and worry.
James gave us three points about answers to prayer in James 4:2-3:
1 – You receive not because you ask not.
2 – You ask and receive not because you ask amiss.
3 – That you may consume it on your own desires
Jesus said come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest unto your souls. My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
If our hearts are troubled like Martha’s, staying busy in the kitchen, even when it is with the best of intentions, and for the highest cause in the world, will not bring peace and rest to the heart.
Medicating the stress and uneasiness with the things of this world will not satisfy nor quiet the soul.
The only one who is able to give us the kind of peace and rest we need in the middle of our trials and sufferings is The Prince of Peace: Jesus Christ!
We secure this peace just like Mary did, by sitting at His feet and tuning out everything else, while we listen intently for what He is trying to tell us.
Sometimes, more important than hearing His voice, is just allowing His Presence fill our spirits with His Peace and Assurance that everything is going to be all right.
Ten Steps to Spiritual Peace and Rest
1 – To receive we have to ask.
2 – To ask we have to sit at His feet.
3 – To sit at His feet, we have to have the right intentions.
4 – To have the right intentions, our will has to agree with His Will.
5 – To agree with His Will, we have to study and know His Word.
6 – To study and know His Word, we have to open our Bibles and allow its Spirit and Life to flow into our hearts. (Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. We can hear the Word of God in our head as we read it. Reading the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and Isaiah, in the O.T., and John and the letters to the N.T. Church builds one’s faith easiest.)
7 – To feel His Peace, we have to draw near to Him.
8 – To Hear His Voice, we have to listen intently, without distraction, to what He is saying. What He is saying has already been given to us many times in the words of the Bible; full of Spirit and full of Life.
9 – Enter into your closet and shut the door and your Father who sees in secret will hear and answer you, in His time, and in His way; a time and a way that serves His purpose in your life and brings Him Glory.
10 – Wait on Him by concentrating on soaking up His Presence instead of hearing His Words. (if you concentrate on just getting an answer, you will miss His Peace. Our purpose is to Praise and Worship Him, not to use Him as our magic genie in a bottle).
So many times I have had to shut myself away from family and others to seek the Lord in fasting and prayer, just to find a place of rest and peace in my soul. The cares of the ministry and of life can easily overwhelm one; and before you know it, we are behaving just like Martha, with an attitude toward others that soon transfers toward God: “Lord, why don’t you send Mary, or someone to help me?!”
Only calling on Christ will bring Peace and Rest to our weary souls. Martha, or whoever else, will never be able to help us, no matter how much earthly help and counsel others can give us.
15 Steps to Get Started
1 – Forget what is at hand.
2 – Find a quiet place to be alone with God.
3 – Shut the door on all distractions.
4 – Quiet your soul before Him.
5 – Acknowledge, as His child, your need of His help.
6 – Ask for forgiveness for your sins and failures, and to help you to forgive those who have hurt you and done you wrong.
7 – Draw near with your spirit and heart with words and thoughts of praise and thanksgiving.
8 – Feel the change in your spirit-man. Believe His Word that as you draw near to Him, He is drawing near to you. He dwells in the praises and thanks of His people.
9 – Soak up the Presence of His Peace and Love and Assurance.
10 – Open His Word, the Bible, and read what He directs you to read. Meditate upon it.
11 – Thank Him for allowing you to feel His Spirit in yours.
12 – Praise Him for loving you and blessing you with so many good gifts, including the Gift of His Holy Spirit.
13 – Resist all evil thoughts and feelings.
14 – Think thoughts that agree with His character and Word.
Repeat this as often as you need to each day. Make it a daily habit. Your habits become your character and your character becomes your destiny. If you are comfortable sitting at the feet of Jesus on a daily basis, then you will feel right at home when He calls you to sit beside Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.