In the busyness of school and work, it is easy to become overwhelmed and stressed out. The list of things that need done gets long and deadlines approach faster than we ever expected which increases our worries. Add in a family or friend situation and our anxiety levels rocket off the charts. As Christians, this is not how we are supposed to live. We are to hand our cares to God and find our rest in Him, which, in turn will reveal the peace of God to those around us.
Handing our cares and worries over to God gives us peace which keeps us from falling into doubt, as stated in Philippians.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).
God wants us to lay aside our worries because it is good for us. He says again to “[c]ast all [our] cares on Him because He cares for [us],” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV). This is for our benefit! God wants us to give Him our burdens so He can give us peace because He cares for us but also because He wants to bless us. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose,” (Romans 8:28, NIV).
Sometimes we have trouble with this because we do not want to let go and trust God to handle our problems. However, He is perfectly capable to work them out. In Psalms 121, David talks about how God is always with him and points out that God never sleeps. There is nothing too hard for Him, as God Himself tells us, “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27, NIV). Because of this, we are able to rest once we have handed things over to God. As David said in the Psalms, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety,” (Psalms 4:8, NIV).
In addition to giving us rest, peace is also a sign of God working in our lives because it is part of the fruit of the Spirit; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law,” (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV). This means that when we have peace in our lives, people can tell that we have the Holy Spirit in our lives and opening up a door for us to show them that they can have peace, too, by placing their trust in Jesus Christ and his plan for our lives.
Our faith in Jesus should give us peace but it only works if we give him our worries and cares. It is a two-way street; we have to trust God and let go so that he can have control because he can take care of whatever is bothering us. Doing so will cause the fruit of the Spirit to become evident in our lives and enable us to help others receive the peace that we have found in Christ.
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” ( Romans 8:31, NIV)
The integration of learning and the Christian worldview in a vocational context is the focus of Geneva College. Find out more at geneva.edu or contact admissions to see how you can be a part of our Christ-centered, academic community - 800-847-8255 or admissions@geneva.edu.
Kelsey Gerhard ‘23
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Photo by Gary Ellis on Unsplash
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
May 19, 2021
Faithful Doubt: Habakkuk, written by pastor Travis Scott, explores the short prophetic book of Habakkuk, in a practical and meaningful way through the lens of a doubter. Travis approaches the passage of scripture from an honest and humble perspective, recalling difficulties experienced as a husband, father, and pastor.
Dr. J. Ligon Duncan of Reformed Theological Seminary delivered the spring 2021 Commencement address at Geneva College on May 10, 2021. Here is an excerpt of that message, entitled, "Every Good Work," from 2 Timothy 3. This excerpt first appeared in the Summer 2021 edition of Geneva Magazine.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
When the Bible teaches one thing and your “instincts,” as it were, disagree, whose wisdom do you trust, your own or God’s? Do we really need to be told not to trust in our own minds? Yes, because we want to trust ourselves, and because in our day putatively wise people constantly tell us that high self-esteem brings success.
As busy as college students are, it can be profoundly beneficial for them to seek out and engage in a routine Bible study. Diving deeper into their faith, exploring what the world’s challenges mean to them, and creating a Christian-based path forward can give any college student the direction he or she needs to achieve their best life. Still, it’s not always easy to make that decision—instead of a night with friends or yet another study session for a high-level math class, go to Bible study instead.
What should someone with wealth do? Solomon writes, “Pay attention to it and know its condition.” He uses the example of sheep and goats. Wise parents blessed with wealth will teach their children how to work to maintain it. Wise children will accept the burdens of responsibility that go with family wealth, always remembering that riches do not last forever.
The Book of Proverbs has no use for the gullible, viewing them as willful fools. Even when everyone else can see a hateful, deceitful person for what he is, the gullible choose to believe gracious words.
At Easter, a good question to ask is, "How are people saved?" This should be a question that Christians can easily answer, and indeed most can. However, sometimes Christians are less knowledgeable about the doctrine of justification and its important distinctions than perhaps they should be.
How should leaders deal with difficult situations in difficult times? Geneva College’s John Gallo and Jenna Bieber provide a guidebook for leaders. "Lessons from Cain and Abel to Guide Leaders Through Turbulent Times" walks readers through the account of Cain and Abel to teach leaders the importance of justice, mercy, harmony and equality.
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