Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

 

Manuel missed two whole weeks of school while sick, and when he returned, he couldn’t believe how behind he was in his work. 

On Manuel’s first day back in Math class, the teacher used terms he’d never even heard before. He’d missed concept upon interrelated concept, and soon, he stopped listening altogether. It was so complicated he felt too overwhelmed to even try! 

We’ve all felt like Manuel at times, perhaps with technology or information overload. In this complex, constantly changing world, it’s easy to feel left behind and exhausted. But God didn’t make a mistake when he put you in this world, at this time and place. His plans and purposes for you are to have clarity even when it’s terrifyingly complex! 

We find the clarity we need to live in peace when we focus on the simple instructions God has given us for our lives. God tells us not to get caught worrying about all the details and everything we can’t control (Matthew 6:25-34). Instead, He tells us to love Him with all our hearts, minds, and strength (Mark 12:30-31), love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:30), and share the message of His love with everyone around us (Matthew 28:18-20). God says that when we focus on these simple commands, everything else falls into place (Matthew 6:33), and we find peace, purpose and clarity even amid complexity. 

Countering the complexity of this world’s systems, the Bible says simply, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13). Are the goals you’re pursuing in your life focused on growing in love for God and others? This is more important than anything else. 

For a free Bible study on Living a Life of Peace in Troubled Times, go to guidelines.org/peace. To hear this again, read or share this, visit guidelines.org.