What do you do when you’re in the middle of a storm? The storms of life are inevitable and they come to us in many varieties — some are a light sprinkle and others are a hurricane, but not matter what their intensity, when they arrive, they often catch us off guard. Storms can look like health problems, financial woes, or issues in your family or marriage. Whatever they are, we as believers want to know how to deal with them; how are we are supposed to feel, think, and respond in their midst?

As we endure rough waters, I believe the dream is to be relaxed. When we are feeling tossed around by the waves of life, our desire (which at the time may feel like a fantasy), is to be serene and to have peace of mind. In fact, in the Old Testament, the curse that came to families, tribes, or individuals who had committed really heinous acts was that they could not enter God’s rest. And friend, this is still a curse today.

There is nothing quite as bad as being at a place in life where you feel like you cannot relax; a season wherein you can’t chill and your mind won’t slow down. As your thoughts spiral out of control and your routine makes it seem like you are in a hamster wheel, you may begin to feel crazy and wonder if you, too, are cursed by God. However, I am here to tell you with full assurance that you are not! You live under the new covenant and your good Father loves you, cares for you, tends to you, and says a big “yes and amen!” to the promise of Hebrews 4:1. His rest still stands and you can enter into it right now, no matter how tumultuous your circumstances seem. Today, I encourage you to fix your eyes on Jesus, take a deep breath, and allow His peace that surpasses understanding to permeate your storm!