Written by BCC Counselor, Colleen Ryan. Everyone has received life-changing news at some point in their lives. Maybe it was news of a dreaded medical diagnosis, or an unexpected job loss, or the premature death of a loved one.

Sometimes a fairly “certain” future becomes “uncertain” and we’re left to wonder: How do I pursue peace with an uncertain future?

When the future is uncertain, it’s so easy for us to become consumed with worry, anxiety, or fear. Since we can’t control the future, our imagination feeds our fears.

Written by BCC Counselor, Mark Johnson. “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”

Conflict in families is as old as families themselves. We don’t have to look very far in our own past to find instances where our family conflict gets the best of us.

We know that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, but on occasion, we treat our family worse than how we treat our neighbors.

Is it possible to live anxiety-free and in peace? To be “anxious for nothing,” as the apostle Paul mandated us believers? Anxiety is a distracting care that diverts our attention from the eternal Lord to temporal, earthly concerns. It not only divides our minds, but also weighs us down. Whether nagging worries, debilitating panic, or any other expression of it, anxiety has powerful and negative effects on the body, and we’ve all experienced it.

Our emotions are a gift from God, to help us experience life more fully. Every emotion is good, and we are to experience them all, at the right time, in the right way. So how can we discover the peace of God and how the God of Peace helps us shape healthy expressions of emotions that honor God, bless others, and benefit ourselves? If we are going to experience peace within and around us, then we have to become skilled at identifying, expressing, and managing our emotions.

What is shame, and why is it such a large part of the human experience? Shame is the emotion that accompanies guilt; it churns like a hurricane in the soul, causing anxiety, isolation, and despair. So how do we release that emotion back to a place of peace? We must recognize God uses our pain for good, to conform us to the image of Christ, and give us a greater platform of ministry to those who have shared experiences.

Cultivating peace is not just a choice to “be still in the Lord,” hoping it will suddenly fall upon us. Experiencing peace is learned as Philippians 4:11 teaches us: “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Experiencing peace is directly proportional to how strongly we are committed to the choices that will produce peace in us. The peace of God is not beyond comprehension; if we are not connected to the source of peace, we will fail to experience peace.

Peace doesn’t really seem to describe the experience of many in recent weeks, months, or years. In our pursuit of peace, we must realize that it is more than a feeling of calm or tranquility; peace is more than good luck or feeling blessed. Peace is also more than avoiding conflict or war. The Word of God gives us an understanding of the importance of peace and the pathway to obtain it.