Advent Devotional: Day 8

“In peace will I both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”  Psalm 4:8

Rest is difficult when life seems to be pulling you in different directions. When anxiety has your fears in overdrive, rest is missing.

Surrender is a word I hear in those moments. But until recently I could not see how or why surrendering was important, actually it is more like I could not bare to see it.  For me control is a way to prevent things from happening. The reality is I cannot control, prevent or change anything that is going to happen.  I have come to see most of what I want to prevent from happening (Ie, loss of a relationship, loss of finances, loss in general) I cannot prevent by being hypervigilant. It only creates anxiety.

This is when God reminds me to surrender my anxious thoughts. He showed me what surrender is and isn’t during the writing of this. It isn’t about giving up or giving in as I have always believed. But more about acknowledging my limits and seeing His limitlessness. What I can change is my reaction, my response and my thoughts. What I can change would fit on a pin head.  He, on the other hand, can change everything. This shift in me brings deep meaningful breathes to my anxious heart. With each deep breath, comes a calmness. He give me a place to rest but only if I shift my thoughts to surrender.

How do you find rest when anxiety (fears) have you in knots?  Where can you steal away for a peaceful moment with God?