Peace of mind

Last year was a really difficult one in many ways. In Australia we had drought, floods and the unprecedented bushfires that swept across the nation. Unfortunately 2020 (well on the way to being over!) hasn’t really been any better, and in fact in a global sense has been far worse.

After having suffered so much in 2019, many of the communities around Australia are yet to even start rebuilding, and now many of those projects are on hold and many jobs and livelihoods are in jeopardy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Google at the time of writing this, 326,000 people worldwide have died so far, and it continues to rise. 

In terms of economic loss, a quick Google search indicates that the potential cost of COVID-19 could be more than $4 trillion dollars!! To be honest, I can’t really comprehend just how massive that is, but what I can understand is that it will take the world several years to recover, providing there’s not another pandemic and no other major disasters.

Peace of mind is in very short supply. Uncertainty, fear and stress are being felt by people all over the world. 

So – can the Bible help? Can it offer us any peace of mind in these chaotic and unpredictable times? The short answer is yes. 

The Bible, written thousands of years ago, predicted there would be challenging and scary times.

The Bible says, “In the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5, NLT)

Well that’s not much help so far I’ll admit. But it helps to set the scene just a bit, as do these verses from the book of Isaiah where God says - “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to do what is good, who leads you in the way you should go. If you had obeyed me, you would have had peace like a full-flowing river. Good things would have flowed to you like the waves of the sea.” (Isaiah 48:17-18, NCV)

The Bible does offer peace of mind and it offers hope; and to anyone who is prepared to read it and to obey God, that peace of mind can be like a full flowing river – calm, quiet and unwavering.

Unfortunately rather than being respected and obeyed, God has been (largely) shut out of our lives and ignored. Is it just an unrelated coincidence then, that peace of mind, for many in the world, is rare?

In Revelation we get a glimpse of what our future could be like: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4, NLT)

The Bible not only offers us peace of mind for the present, but as I mentioned before, it also offers an incredible opportunity of hope for the future!

If that sounds like a future that you’re interested in – pick up a Bible and have a look for yourself.

If you need help with that, or have questions, please feel free to visit our website or contact us.