If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:1-2 ESV
We were created to be rational beings so we carry around with us the desire to know and understand why things are the way they are—this is why we grow frustrated when things don’t make sense. When trials hit and we don’t have an answer, we scream at the injustice. We want to know why the diagnosis came, why a child had to be affected, why we have to suffer. We want to know why God won’t change him or why she walked away, and we don’t rest until there is resolution. We tie our peace to finding an answer.
The problem is we don’t always get an answer. But what we fail to understand is that will never experience the inner peace we so desperately desire simply because all of our questions have been answered. The bible does not dispel all mysteries of life—it does not answer all the questions you have, and it does not always reveal to you all the things He will do in your life for your good and His glory.
As believers, we cannot trust reason more than we trust God, we cannot reject His truth when it doesn’t make sense to us. We must accept there will be mysteries that will never be solved in our lifetime. Through many and varied trials, my husband and I have discovered that while we usually don’t receive answers in the midst of a trial, He will often reveal His plan after the trial is over. We can look back on numerous hardships we have endured and understand exactly what God was doing. Many times, our questions are answered in hindsight. But there are still several trials, some we are currently walking through, that don’t seem to make sense and I want answers. I want to know why He continues to allow the struggle and when He’s going to get to work.
Foundational to this understanding is a trust in God’s goodness. If we do not believe He is working all things for good deep inside our souls, that His plan is for us and that it is ultimately for the good of all, then we will never find His peace. He honors those who trust Him, and He blesses our obedience when we put our trust in Him with the peace we so desperately crave.
More times than I can count, I’ve been on my knees begging Him to work in a situation the way I want Him to work. I struggle because I want things on this earth to work out according to my plan. My heart will fill with angst as I fret over how things will play out, or when they will resolve. It’s in those moments that I lose my self-control and my thoughts become chaotic. It’s in those moments I punish my husband with my harsh words and expectations.
But then I relinquish control of the situation to Him. I eventually stop trying to press my agenda or my plan onto Him and I submit to His plan. I replace the lie that I have to take care of everything with the truth that He already has a plan for how it’s going to work out and it’s good. I rest in the knowledge that He deeply cares for me and those I love, and that has already worked all things out. He has blessed that submission with His supernatural peace in a way that often blows my mind. Often, when I finally realize I need to give up control, I have pleaded with Him for a sign, something that assures me He is at work. Most times, He shows up with a sign to assure me He’s at work, but every time I pray that prayer, He shows up with the peace I need. Every single time. He is good, my friends. He is for us. We can trust Him because He has a plan for us and for the world that is good.
This passage tells us where the true peace is to be found, it is not found in trying to figure out the secret will of God, and it is not found in personal attempts to plan and control for circumstances or people in your life. No, the kind of peace that has staying power through the most difficult circumstances comes from fixing our minds on Him. Because we know the One behind the mystery is gloriously good, He is worthy of our full trust and worship. We don’t need to have it all figured out, we just need to worship the One who does.
Press on ~ you are loved 💗
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