2,279 hits
Have you ever felt like life hit you so hard you couldn’t breathe? Like the weight of everything was pressing down, and you weren’t sure you could stand again? I’ve been there too.
The apostle Paul wrote: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. 2 Corinthians 4:8
These words speak deeply to me. I know what it feels like to be knocked down, but not destroyed. I want to share a little of my journey. How I’ve found hope in Jesus during hard times.
I didn’t choose this disability. I didn’t wake up one day asking for my life to change forever. But it did. And through this struggle, I’ve had to wrestle with fear, loss, grief and even anger. Yet, I’ve also discovered a deeper hope that holds me up when everything else feels shaky.
The world tells us to stay strong, to ‘pick ourselves up by the bootstraps.’ But what happens when you simply can’t? When your strength is gone? That’s when I’ve learned what it really means to lean on Jesus. The One who promises living water that never runs dry:
John 4:14 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.
Jesus invites us: Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest Matthew 11:28.
This invitation is for every one of us. Whether you’ve followed Him for years, followed at one time but it has been awhile. Or you’re just beginning to wonder if He’s real.
Sometimes life knocks us down, strength runs out. But God will meet us right where we are. Paul’s words remind us that struggles don’t have the final say. Even when my body feels weak, God is renewing my spirit day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.
What a promise this is, if we will only lean on Him. What a weight that can be lifted when we trust Jesus. We were never meant to carry this weight of life alone.
When I was first forced to look at how much I had lost. It was easy to feel sorry for myself. I started setting up a pity party. Then I asked myself who would that help? It certainly wouldn’t help my recovery process or strengthen me in any way. Not physically and definitely not my mental state. It certainly wouldn’t help my family who was going through this with me. After all they had lost a lot as well.
Even now, there are times I have to take my thoughts captive and not let the negative take over. Frustration is a big one with me. I think of the simple things I used to do and how I wrestle with them now. It always hits when I’m trying to achieve something that was simple with two hands. Frustration takes over if I let it. Questions and negativity want to invade my thoughts. I can’t let them in; it only makes things worse.
I was given a new reason for taking my thoughts captive on September 10th. Maybe you have as well. What happened at the college in Utah with Charlie Kirk was such a hateful act. I’ve felt the ripple effects of tragedy. Felt the anger and hate that’s in our world today like I haven’t felt in quite a while. I’m sure a lot of you have been dealing with the anger these events have brought, as well. What happened in our country has left many wondering how to handle it. The emotions are strong and raw.
When something awful happens, it’s natural to have harsh thoughts toward those involved for the harm they caused. I’ve found myself wrestling with this also. It never helps any situation when we return hate with hate. Fear can also take over if we let it. What if someone doesn’t like what we are saying and doing? We can’t let our emotions and thoughts rule us.
But this is exactly when Scripture calls us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 becomes more than a discipline—it’s a lifeline. It means we must pause, choose whether our anger, fear, and frustration will rule us. Or whether God’s Word and Spirit will lead us into obedience, compassion, and His truth. It means refusing to let hate or fear settle into our hearts, even when hurt demands it. We have His help to control it. Hate and fear can cripple, but we don’t have to go down that road.
I have learned when something happens that grabs onto my emotions, I pray. When I heard, I prayed for Charlie to survive and for his family. We don’t know why things happen the way they do. Then I prayed for his young wife Erika and their two babies, for his parents and family he left behind. For our country, because of the hate and the people who carry this hate. It always helps to go to Jesus, ask for help with anything we need. He is here.
And this is where Jesus’ promise in John 14:27 can steady us. Peace I leave you; My peace I give you; not as the world gives I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
His peace is not fragile—it’s stronger than the hate in our world and stronger than the fears in our minds.
Because hatred doesn’t heal, bitterness doesn’t build, and revenge doesn’t reconcile. Faith invites us into something more redemptive. When we trust Him, our faith leads us to speak and act in ways that show the heart of Christ. Protecting the vulnerable, seeking truth, mourning sin, but also offering compassion and hope.
Paul teaches that part of our spiritual battle is in the mind. Taking control of thoughts that lead us away from the truth, and instead submitting them to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
This means not letting negative thoughts take over, in any situation, but choosing to focus on what’s true.
When I think of my family or look at them, I am reminded how much my life has been blessed. How much I still have. In my frustration, I need reminders from time to time to capture my negative thoughts. I ask Jesus to help me lock the door to discouragement and instead count my blessings. And I have so many!
There were days I felt like giving up, days I wondered if I would ever find joy again. But each time, God reminds me—this world isn’t the end of the story.
Paul wrote, For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. 2 Corinthians 4:17.
What feels heavy now is temporary. Only momentary compared to forever. Our suffering is way lighter than what Christ suffered for us. What God promises us is eternal. This truth gave me strength when I had none of my own and still gives it to me daily.
1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, makes you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settles you.
Our trials are not the end of the story. God Himself is shaping us through them, preparing us for His eternal glory. What seems like a long season of pain here is just a moment compared to the endless joy ahead.
Peter reminds us that after we have suffered a little while. The God of all grace will restore us, make us strong, and steady our hearts. Our struggles feel overwhelming in the moment, but they are not forever. What we face today is temporary—God’s promises are eternal. He is shaping us, strengthening us, and preparing us for the glory to come. We can hold on to this hope together, knowing that our suffering is never wasted in His hands.
Friend, I don’t know what burden you’re carrying today. Maybe it feels too heavy to lift. But I do know this: you don’t have to carry it alone. Lean on Him. Trust His promises. He will not fail you.
Your struggle probably looks different. Maybe it’s loss, financial stress, or health battles of your own. Whatever it is, the same Jesus who carries me longs to carry you too. Won’t you let Him?
He is strong enough for your weakness, gentle enough for your fears, and faithful enough to keep every promise. Lean on Him. Trust Him. And discover the hope that never runs dry.
If you’re carrying something heavy right now, I pray for you:
That Jesus will meet you in your pain and remind you that you are not alone. When you feel weak, He will be your strength. When your thoughts feel dark, He will flood your heart with His light.
That you will know the hope of His promises. He will show you that what feels heavy now is only temporary, but His love for you is eternal.
He will help you guard your mind and take every thought captive, so His peace—not fear or anger—leads your heart.
That you will lean on Him now. Let Him carry the weight you were never meant to carry alone. He will help you remember this world is a better place with you in it.
As Peter reminds us, after we have suffered a little while. The God of all grace Himself will restore us, make us strong, and steady our hearts.
Feel free to share:
✨If you need a song to carry with you today, this is one of my favorites. It reminds me of so much. Listen to Run to the Father by Cody Carnes. Let the words remind you that in the hardest moments, God is here for you.
2 responses to “When Emotions Steal Our Peace”
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Once again Debbie your post is just what is needed. We need to turn to Jesus and trust Him to carry us through our trials. No matter how heavy they feel, we know He will carry us! Thank you for sharing! Patti
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Praise the Lord! He’s always there to give me the words. So glad you enjoyed it.
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A thought, verse, or prayer to share? I’d love to read it.