I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! Psalm 139:7

 

We’ve all probably said something like this: You make me so mad! Or, You’re stressing me out!

 

Maybe your stress is triggered by traffic or your child throwing a tantrum. Either way, phrases like “You’re making me mad” give away our power over our actions and emotions. We’re essentially saying that other people’s actions and circumstances control us.

 

We’re our best selves, able to assess and problem-solve, when we know how to stay calm in the face of stressful circumstances. How? Sounds great in theory, but it can feel impossible in the daily grind of life.

 

Scientists have found that simple practices like stopping to take slow deep breaths, relaxing our muscles, and saying things to ourselves like, “I can handle this,” have a profound impact on our body and mind’s ability to stay calm in the face of chaos.[1] God says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God!” In other words, take the time to stop, remember who God is, and trust Him with your life in this moment.

 

By doing this, you take ownership of your feelings and responses, stopping to regain your peace in light of God’s presence with you. In Psalms the Bible reminds us that we can never escape from God’s Spirit or get away from His presence!” (Psalm 139:7)

 

No set of circumstances will fling you out of God’s presence. He is near to you now. Because of that, you can stop and rediscover the peace no one can take from you. Out of that place of reclaimed peace, you can problem solve, connect with others graciously, and be who God made you to be.

 

[1] LeDoux, Joseph E. The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1996.