Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Have you ever struggled to let go of fear and anxiety in stressful circumstances?

I will be the first to admit that I am a perpetually anxious person. There are times when I have gripped tightly to whatever semblance of control I could manage over my circumstances. Yet, I still did not experience peace—only isolation and loneliness. I knew I was majorly lacking something … or someone.

In our world, we get advice on how to live peacefully thrown at us from every direction. There are countless self-help books promising that we can conquer fear on our own and achieve our own peace. While these quick fixes can seem enticing, Godly peace cannot be replaced with worldly things. We can only experience true peace through God and the Spirit that he has given us.

The good news is that God did not just create us and save us—he also came to advocate for us through his Holy Spirit. As we learned last weekend, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as an advocate for all who place their trust in him. This Advocate is always with us, guiding us through life and fighting for us when life gets difficult. Many have not learned or even truly know about the Holy Spirit, yet placing our trust in him is one of the most integral parts of growing in our faith. Upon his ascension, Jesus promised that we would never have to do life on our own—the Holy Spirit will be with us to the end of the age, advocating for us at every moment.

Everything changed when I started trusting the Holy Spirit and remembering I was never alone. I finally experienced true, lasting peace and freedom from my anxieties when I surrendered all control to the Holy Spirit. I no longer feel the need to grasp so tightly to my own plans for my life. I rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment, and I have weathered my trials because of it.

Let us rest in the fact that we are no longer chained to our sorrows and worries—the Spirit is with us every moment, bearing our burdens and leading us to everlasting peace.

Romans 8:6
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

Questions:
Do you try to hold on to power and control?

Has there been a time in your life where you experienced the Holy Spirit and his lasting peace?

Next Steps:
Through prayer, ask God to help you trade your fears for the peace that we can only get through his Holy Spirit.

This week, surrender one thing that gives you fleeting peace and meditate on how you can experience lasting peace from the Spirit.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending me your Holy Spirit to advocate for me and to help guide me throughout my life. Remind me of the lasting peace that the Spirit gives me and encourage me to rejoice in all circumstances. Help me to give up control of my circumstances and entrust them to you every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Series Theme Verse:

John 14:26
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

This post was written by Isabelle Billnitzer, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.