When your mind is stayed upon Christ, you can have peace in every situation. I was recently listening to a teaching by a man who was told by doctors, “Get your things in order, you have two days to live.” This man believed fiercely in God’s healing power and gracious goodness. When he heard those words, he didn’t fear. He heard the voice of the Lord telling him that he’ll get through this, and he walked his healing journey out step by step with the Lord.

When my sister disappeared for about five years and my parents didn’t know if she was dead or alive, fear came knocking to present to them gruesome pictures of a thousand different scenarios. But instead of listening to the voice of fear, they chose to turn their faces to the Lord. What was he saying about the situation? His answer was that she was alive. His instructions were that they were not to be handwringers but were to lift their hands in prayer and praise. They chose trust in God, even on hard days like birthdays and Mother’s Day. They had peace when they could have been mourning, and the Lord brought about a beautiful reunion that he had held in his heart the whole time.

Trust in God is better than worry. It’s better than anxiously picturing every scenario. In the Bible, God was David’s strong tower when an army was literally seeking his life. I’ve never had an army trying to capture and kill me, but I imagine that has the potential of being quite stressful! When life comes against us, we can focus on the problem, or we can get quiet with God and get his perspective. We can see the challenge as an opportunity to lean in and trust that the God of the universe will navigate us into victory and turn the challenge into a praise for his glorious name.

Recently, my husband and I were out on Eleven Mile Reservoir in our small fishing boat with our dog Moxie. It’s a beautiful reservoir up to ninety feet deep, surrounded by panoramic views. While my husband fished, I laid in the boat reading a testimony about a couple who were told their baby was dead in the womb. Instead of accepting the doctor’s diagnosis, they got God’s perspective and fought the fight of faith and ended up with a healthy child. The testimony really touched me, and the Lord started speaking to me about specific areas where he wanted my faith to grow.

The day was beautiful. Blue skies, white fluffy clouds. When we checked the weather that morning it said sun and light wind for the full day. But the forecast was wrong, and weather can change very quickly out on the lake. We saw some gathering clouds in the distance by the mountains and started slowly heading back to the side of the lake where the docks were, hoping the clouds would clear. Next thing we knew, blue skies were gray with flashes of lightning. The wind picked up making the water incredibly choppy as it splashed into the boat. Ty picked up as much speed as the waves would allow while I hastily put mine and Moxie’s life jackets on. I hoped we would get back to the docks before it rained or hailed, knowing full well how capricious Colorado weather could be. All of the sudden, our engine spluttered, then quit. “S*#t!” My husband eloquently muttered (my sentiments exactly). He tried turning the key several times with no response. As he grabbed the emergency paddle and tried to navigate the boat to the nearest shore, I tried signaling for help, but the docks were too far away for anyone to see. The wind was swiftly pushing us towards an area that had been marked off by buoys with the warning HAZARDOUS written on them and we were so close I could see the sharp rocks that were just below the surface. At that moment, I had a choice to make. I could freak out and follow the way of fear, or I could trust that God was bigger than this moment. God had just been speaking to me an hour ago about wanting me to grow in faith. Well, if he was speaking to me about the future, then we certainly weren’t going to drown in this silly storm. So, my thought process took an unexpected turn. If we weren’t going to drown in this silly storm, then I might as well enjoy this moment! It’s not often I get into perilous situations that could be considered adventures. So, with that mindset, I started having fun. I’m not saying that I’ve never chosen fear instead of peace, but I’m learning that every moment we do have a choice. Jesus wouldn’t waste his time in this moment being afraid, so why should I? There was only one paddle, so I stuffed our belongings into our waterproof “dry bag” while Ty did an excellent job navigating the boat with the direction of the waves while still avoiding the rocks. We finally crashed against the shore. The boat was half on sand and half being pushed up against a big rock. “Jump out now!” Ty directed. I grabbed our dry bag and jumped out. Moxie wanted to follow but was confused and cowered at the head of the boat until Ty gave her a toss. Four paws back on solid ground, she happily sniffed around in the rain. Even walking back through the wind, rain and lightning was fun. I didn’t get to do that often either!

Our God says do not fear. I’ve heard (though I haven’t counted myself) the phrase do not fear is written 365 times in The Bible. Every day of the year our God is saying “Trust Me.” The world may give us lots of opportunities to fear but we can take heart, because he has overcome the world. We can choose to look at every challenge life throws at us as an opportunity to grow in our trust in The Father. Fear is from the enemy and is the opposite of faith. It opens the door to what the enemy wants to offer us. Faith opens the door to what Jesus died to give us. A more abundant life. We’re not made to walk around in anxiety, we’re made to walk in perfect peace. Over circumstances not under them. So, let’s keep our minds stayed upon God who has made us “more than conquerors” and “through whom we can do all things” (Romans 8:37, Philippians 4:13). When life presents an opportunity to fear, let us see it instead as an opportunity to trust, and get God’s perspective.