Life is anything but easy.
Most days, I hid behind a smile, burying my pain deep inside my heart. I did my best to show up for responsibilities, while the weight dragged my soul down. I sat in my car one morning and stared out the window before going into work, battling my rising anxiety. Darkness was closing in on me as dread made its way to the surface, overtaking my body in a panic. I begged God to fix me. I pleaded with Him to take it away.
This trend went on for some time.
Well-intentioned people encouraged me to choose peace, but I’ve learned it’s not that simple.
When God doesn’t release us from our pain, we choose peace. But the truth is, there is no switch to flip. There is no button. If only it were as simple as a choice. Sometimes, suppressing our pain is disguised as choosing peace.
So, how can we have true peace when God won’t take away the pain?
This is a concept that was hard to wrap my mind around for a very long time: peace is not the absence of pain.
Pain is not the end of our hope, because Christ lives in us. When we embrace our human weakness, we realize our neediness for the Lord’s strength.
Accepting your pain is not a sign of unbelief — it’s a sign of faith. You can have God’s peace in the midst of your struggles and suffering, but you have to feel your pain. It’s real and valid, and it is not meant for your private dwelling — it’s meant to be shared with Him.
God won’t always take your pain away, but He will always meet your sorrows with hope and grace that is deeper than you could ever imagine.
2 Timothy 1:9 says, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”
You have to know grace before you can know peace.
When God’s grace enters our sufferings, we can experience the same “peace beyond understanding” in Philippians 4:7. His grace is what carries us through our pain and sorrows. His grace is what invites peace. His grace is greater than our sufferings.
The beautiful thing is, you don’t have to earn grace. It is God’s gift to you. It never runs out.
So, let your weakness serve as a reminder of your desperate need for the Lord. Embrace the opportunity to dig deeper into the great purpose in your brokenness. Trust Him to transform you through the struggles. You are never abandoned — He is always at work.
This world is just as broken as our hearts. Life may bring a great deal of suffering, but by His grace, we can rest in His loving arms because Jesus has overcome the world.
Let God’s grace carry you into His wonderful peace which surpasses all human understanding.
