The exhaustion I feel in this season of life is often unbearable. Several weeks ago, I found myself with tears streaming down my face as I received a neck massage at the chiropractor’s office. The stress had built up to the point that I could no longer manage the neck and shoulder pain without the temporary relief of a weekly, short massage and chiropractic adjustment. The emotional vacillation of my life wreaked havoc on my mind and then my body. If I weren’t keenly adept in the spiral to rock bottom, I would not have recognized the soul-deep exhaustion that was imminent. Even seeing it coming could not stop it from settling over me.

While I am still very much in this version of my life, I am getting quicker at seeing it coming because I’ve been through it before. The lessons learned through life experience are powerful tools to help us course correct when we’re on our way towards hardships and suffering.

One way I try to slow the plummeting is by pursuing peace in my life. As we enter Mental Health Awareness Month, I’d like to explore how we can pursue peace in our lives even when our lives feel out of our control.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” -John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT

Jesus’ encouraging words to the disciples in John 16:33 do not promise that we will have a trouble-free life, but they do give us comfort knowing that He has overcome the world through His death and resurrection. We can have peace through Him when we lean on Him and rely on Him to soothe our souls.

We’ll talk more about how to pursue peace in our lives and mental health awareness throughout the month. For today, I want to leave you with three practical tips for pursuing peace in Jesus.

1. Speak words of affirmation OUT LOUD over yourself and your life to start training your brain to believe that you are kept in perfect peace with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I like to formulate my affirmation statements based off encouraging scriptures. Examples include:

The Lord keeps me in perfect peace because I trust in Him. I fix my thoughts on the Lord. I trust in the Lord always, for the Lord is my eternal Rock. (based off Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT)

“I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

2. One tip I got years ago from a counselor was to ask myself in times when my mind is spiraling whether or not I can control whatever it is I’m obsessing over. Most things are out of my control. I can only control myself, my actions, and my reactions. When you start to lose your peace, ask yourself, “is this something I can control?” If the answer is yes, make a decision to take whatever action or reaction moves you closer to peace. If the answer is no, release it to God and trust that He will handle it. Here is a simple prayer of release for you to speak over your situation:

Lord, I can feel myself spiraling out of control. My emotions are trying to direct my actions and reactions in this situation. I know that I cannot control this situation. Lord, I release this burden to you. I trust in you with all my heart. I know that you are in control and able to do abundantly more than I can ask or imagine. Holy Spirit, please bring peace to my soul and calm to my mind as I walk in faith knowing that you are in control. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

3. The last tip I will leave you with today is to journal your thoughts and feelings. Sometimes the act of getting them out of your mind and spirit through writing them down helps bring peace to your soul. I often like to journal first thing in the morning when it is quiet and the house is still asleep. Other times, after a rough day, I will journal before bed to release my anxiety to God. At either time, I like to start my journaling with a short gratitude list of three to five things I’m thankful for to center my heart on the good in my life.

Sweet friend, I know life is hard. It was never promised to be easy. We are living under the effects of a fallen world. One day, in Heaven, all our troubles will be washed away as we sit at the feet of Jesus.  In the meantime, you can pursue peace in your life by remembering that Jesus shed His blood for you. Believe in Him, release your sorrows to Him, and lean on Him for comfort and guidance.

I pray this message brought you hope today. I’d love to hear from you. What other ways do you pursue peace in your life?