When Life Unravels You

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3

I’ve sat down three times this week to write something your heart could grab hold of regarding a phrase I love in the Bible, “kept by Jesus Christ”. This phrase creates images of being guarded, protected, and held together. Here’s my problem though…I have been feeling the opposite of held together. Unraveled would be a better word choice -- unraveled by fear, discouragement, frustration, worry, anger, and jealousy. I have PMS, too, which means my sanity could come unraveled at any moment.  

My unraveling heart needed some sturdy fabric to grab onto, so I decided to have a chat with God about this “kept by Jesus” idea. He reminded me that his promises are sturdy. His word promises that Jesus guards our minds by offering us peace that passes all understanding, joy that gives us strength to persevere, and rest in the midst of life’s fiercest storms.

Yes. I love God’s promises, and I believe with all my heart they are sturdy. So if Jesus is guarding my peace, joy and rest, why do I feel them slipping away?

I found my answer in today’s focus verse. Read it again and notice what is required of us. Jesus keeps us in perfect peace…as we trust in him and fix our thoughts on him.

Oh man! Our thought life is a constant battle, isn’t it?

In my unraveled state, I took inventory of my thoughts. All negative. They had been that way for a couple of days. No wonder I was in such a sad state. Each thought repeated over and over had ripped away at my peace and joy, leaving me like scraps of fabric in desperate need of a tailor.

Jesus to the rescue! He is a master mender. Can you picture him showing up at your front door with a sewing kit?! Ha! Each time we come unraveled, he lovingly calls us to himself. “Trust me with your circumstance,” he says as he pulls out your favorite color thread. “Fix your thoughts back on me and rest your anxious mind.”

He is so faithful. When we draw near to him, he stitches us back together and stands guard at the gate of our heart. He builds our faith and restores our peace as we trust in him. He infuses us with joy and undergirds us with strength as we fix our thoughts on him.

How are you feeling today, dear one? Take inventory of your thoughts. Are they causing you to come unraveled? If so, take your scraps to the Tailor. Remind yourself that God is trustworthy. Surrender your circumstances to him and let him restore your peace, joy and strength. Know today that you are kept by Jesus Christ. 

Anna Frye is a speaker, author, television host and founder of the Chosen and Crowned tribe. She invites moms and wives to celebrate imperfect progress fueled by the grace of a perfect God. She helps women bravely talk about the messy places of life, instead of hiding shamefully under them. She believes that lasting beauty comes when women courageously surrender their ashes to God and allow him to do something mind-blowingly amazing with them. If this resonates with you, then you belong with the Chosen and Crowned tribe. Connect at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com/blog