Persistent Peace.

I’ve always lived life fast-paced, rarely stopping. I hardly allow myself to catch my breath before going onto another thing, or idea, or project. There’s something almost addicting about the hustle and bustle of living in a never-slowing, always-going city like Chicago. I live in a city that never sleeps, and that includes me. Someone close to me asked, “Well, what does God say about your constant state of chaos?” To be honest, I never thought about this, nor did I care to look into it. So what if I’ve got a million things on my plate? So what if I spend my nights frantically studying or worrying about grades or projects or things that someone said to me three months (or years) ago? Surely God doesn’t have a say in this grip chaos has on me. God cannot possibly care about how I spend my sleepless nights or how much space in my brain is taken up by nonsensical worry or anxiety, especially if they come with good intentions.How much further from the truth could I be? God absolutely cares about my mind and how much chaos I allow into this crazy life of mine. God cares about this especially when I allow chaos to control me. I mean, God doesn’t just talk once or twice about the power we allow chaos to have in our lives rather than peace. It’s written all throughout the pages of Scripture. In 1 Corinthians, it is written: “for God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.” God does not intend for nor wants us to live in a chaotic state; rather, He wants us to live a life filled with peace, knowing that the King of Kings is on my side forever and always. God does not call us into a life of overwhelming, ever-present, nearly-cripplingchaos. God calls us to a life of radical, persistent, peace.I honor a God that knows what my next grade will be before I even begin to study. He knows the next time I will allow chaos to control me. When I choose to idolize chaos rather than ever-present peace, I am missing an opportunity for Christ to work in me. I miss an opportunity for Him to prove, time and time again that chaos does not prove my worth. How much I get done, how many hours I spend studying, how filled up my agenda is doesn’t prove my worth.A song that reminds me of this daily is “I am Healed” by River Valley Worship. The words in the chorus ring so true: “chaos you have no power here.” When I put God before my chaos, I am reminding myself that chaos only has power when I allow it to. But even on the days when chaos seeps into my life and I feel powerless, I am loved, I am seen, and I am not defined by the chaos. I have these words written on my heart forever and ever: chaos you have no power here.words and photo by Maddie Watson