Peace Wk 3: How to Still Yourself
Things to note:
Main text: Matthew 14:22-33
This is part 3 of a 4 part study. To read part 2 click here to jump to part 4 click here
Video Message can be found on Youtube @genuineflow
Understanding how to still yourself
God does not need science, He created it. He can use His creation how He pleases. Is it plausible that He could have used the strength of the wind from the storm to allow Peter to walk? Think of the winds from a tornado picking up a car. I am not saying that the Power of Jesus wasn’t enough to allow Peter to walk. I am saying that Jesus could have been using the storm in ways we do not readily consider. How does an ocean know when to stop at the sand other than by the power of the Lord? The depth of this story just goes so much further than what initially meets the eye. This moment where Peter’s willingness to trust Jesus beyond human limitations is far beyond what I believe has been revealed to me at this time. What I do know, however, is that this story can be found in Matthew Chapter 14 and if we start at the beginning the first thing we see is that John the Baptist is killed. This is the baby that leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary entered with Jesus resting in her womb. Close would have to be an understatement yet we don’t see anything recorded about Jesus’ grief. We know He experienced grief because of the way He wept at Lazarus’ tomb. Jesus wanted to be alone after learning of John’s death but instead, the crowd started following him and we see Him feeding the 5000 which was a massive undertaking for Him and His crew. Sure He broke the bread and blessed it but it still had to be distributed. Many think the crowd was upwards of 20,000 people if you include women and children and before they ate people were being healed. Jesus wanted to be alone to grieve (Matthew 14:13} but instead stretched out far more than fish and bread that day. He stretched Himself to serve the people following Him. Then finally we get to this big moment where we see the storm. The therapist in me can’t help but wonder if the storm shares symbolism with His feelings because grief can absolutely create a raging storm. This exact answer, I will never know but what we do know is that we don’t arrive at this moment easily. So much occurred yet Jesus shows us how to move through it gracefully with divine focus. That is the approach I want you to take to the new series we are about to embark on.
Peace Be Still: Understanding Meditation for Believers.
Being able to still yourself while the world is still rapidly moving around you is an internal work that many Christians have steered away from for a number of reasons. But how else could a grieving exhausted Jesus walk on water through a storm without being calm and still in His soul? It’s so easy to write off what He did as oh that was Jesus, I can’t do that, but His word says that the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead is the same spirit that now lives in me. And it’s the same spirit that lives in you if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. So why don’t we spend more time in meditation? My hypothesis is that too many people have taken meditation and made it weird and in some cases even demonic. But that is not all there is to the truth and power of meditation. Can I tell you that identifying the quiet place within you is like stepping into a beautiful blooming garden right at the peak of spring? Everything is vibrant and lovely, the breeze is calm, and the pain begins to feel futile.
What I am about to say has its controversies in the Christian arena but it’s no secret that I have a decent amount of tattoos. During the most painful one which is on my shoulder, I started to do some meditation and shortly after fell asleep. Right there in the chair, mid-tattoo, deep breathing and intentionally setting my mind on my breathing ushered me into a sweet nap that lasted me through the majority of my time in that chair. Even the tattoo artist was tickled by how peacefully I slept. Peace. There it sat right in the midst of pain, in this scenario physical but it can sit in the midst of emotional pain as well. The peace we desire in our lives is not outward, it's inward and it’s going to require us to shake our routines, step out of the boat, and learn to trust Him in a new way. Like a child terrified of the dark, too many adults wander aimlessly through busyness desperately trying to avoid the silence. Christians check the box of their “quiet” time never actually stilling themselves long enough to truly be left alone with nothing but God and their thoughts.
Would you breathe with me for a moment? Right now. Stop what you are doing and just breathe. If you want to give meditation stay tuned because part 1 of Meditation for Believers will be available on my YouTube channel in the coming weeks. There is no rubric of perfection on how to do this. Simply allow yourself a moment to be still. It will get easier with time but whatever discomfort you may feel is information that you need to know and process with yourself and with the Lord.
Meditation does not remove the presence of pain but it makes it more bearable and I believe that it is the solace Jesus was seeking when He would go off to be alone knowing that the pain he was getting ready to face would be excruciating beyond measure. He used these moments of stillness to pray and connect with God. His moments of reprieve did not remove the pain but consistently positioned Him to keep moving toward it for God’s glory. This journey to peace is larger than you and me, it is an opportunity to connect with God and experience His glory even when circumstances are anything but peaceful.