Where can I find peace?

A few days ago, I had no peace in me; even now I struggle to keep myself in complete peace, and I can’t help but wonder why I am feeling this way.

As a young adult who is still studying and still does not achieve to envision a path to a stable future, my peace has been threatened by countless things. Maybe yours has too. Some of these thoughts can cloud our judgment, even when we know that our confidence should be placed in God. But why have I come to feel this way, when I recognize that in God is my life and everything that happens in it?

I decided to go to the Word to look for scriptures about the topic and in that process, I found Romans 3:17:

“You do not know where to find peace” [NLT]

This verse is part of a portion where Paul explains that the human condition is sinful and therefore contrary to God. For this reason, Paul writes that “there is none that seeketh after God.”; Human nature itself avoids Him, which results in the exposure of our real condition, we fill the space intended for God with other things. As people, we surrender to human standards to satisfy our need for God. However, in this process, we lose sight of the path toward peace.

Then I had to stop reading… this verse puts me under the spotlight. I looked around and examined the things that have led me to lose my focus from the One who is my strength and confidence. I realized that I had allowed discouragement to embrace, but failed to notice it because I filled my life with distractions that kept me from seeing my real condition.

The country where I live, Puerto Rico, is facing a monster that comes with a burden full of economic and social crisis. It’ impressive how its citizens are completely indifferent to the situation, which leads me to be very discouraged.

However, I forgot that even birds have their daily provision of food even when they do not work. Am I overlooking that even flowers, as well as ephemerals, achieve an immeasurable beauty without an ounce of work?

It seems to me that I have allowed the circumstances that surround me to consume me,  forgetting that God is my sustainer; leading me to search for other paths that would provide temporary peace but to no avail, because I do not know where to find peace. However, in grace and mercy, the same word that puts me in the spotlight, leads me towards the right path:

“Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it.” – Psalm 34:14 RSV1960

How can I interpret this verse? That “evil” is everything that manages to blur my attention from the One who is peace. And we will only live in His peace as we practice that “good” that comes as a result of our faith or is it a chain that unleashes a full trust in our God which leads us toward those delicate pastures? [Psalm 23: 2].

As I mentioned, we are facing some challenging experiences that are very discouraging, not only on this island but in the world. However, this has been happening for thousands of years, and it will not get better, as expressed in Matthew 24:12. But we can’t allow these circumstances to distract us from our Sustainer and from experiencing the love and peace that only comes with communion with God.

It’s crucial that we feel the urgency to act as the body of Christ as encouragers to others who face the same scenario. But, first, we must experience it ourselves. If we put our trust wholly in God, our perspective on the difficult circumstances in life will drastically change.

Right now, we all need the peace that only God can give. Many times, I’ve been told that people admire my serenity and tranquility in spite of the difficult situations… Those words might surprise you. However, the truth is, that I also need to remember that is not me who manages to live that way, but by God’s grace and mercy, which transforms my everyday life and lead me to echo the words of the psalmist:

“I will lie down in peace, and sleep myself; Because you alone, Jehovah, make me live in confidence.”Psalm 4: 8