Serenity

I can have the worst episodes of crying spells (blame it on the hormones *rolls eyes*). In an effort to help myself quickly snap out of them, I try (emphasis on try) to reason with myself. I force myself to respond to the question of why it is I’m crying. You know, the whole get it at the root theory. In most cases I cry because I feel a certain way. Then we take the interrogation further by delving into why I feel that particular way.

Being accountable for your feelings is not a nice exercise because the answers are never pretty. They usually point to selfishness or a bruised ego, an obsession with having things go my way or just plain pettiness (yes, I occasionally cry just because I saw the cutest baby romper *hides*). The most ‘reasonable’ answers are usually rooted in things I can’t control. One thing I’ve discovered about myself in this getting older business is that one of my greatest weakness is accepting that certain things are beyond my control (next to talking more than I listen).

There’s a line in the serenity prayer that addresses the ability to accept things we can’t change. I try to remind myself of this line as often as I can. I recently came across a beautiful breakdown of the serenity prayer that I absolutely loved.

"My serenity prayer" Author unknown

Serenity is rooted in the word ‘serene’ which means calm and peaceful. The oxford dictionary defines serenity as a state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled (which is unruffled as this author put it). Serenity is a state of mind, so it is not an emotion. I decide to enter into it and stay there or vacate and visit anxiety instead. But to enter into such a state of mind, my mind needs to be anchored by a certain truth; I can’t achieve this calmness any other way (unless it’s temporary calmness, then sure wine will do the trick). The Bible speaks of hope as an anchor for the soul (see Hebrews 6:19) and one sure thing to keep one in serenity is the firm hope in that God is in control and bares the power to change anything.

The fact that there are things we cannot change, no matter how hard we try, is a testimony of our humanness. But knowing that there are things that we can’t change doesn’t necessarily mean we accept that truth. That’s what hit me with this serenity prayer, this is exactly where I struggle. It’s not that I deny that there are things I can’t change, it’s that I can’t accept it, and so I have to endure it, which keeps me locked out of a state of serenity because I’m at war.

Accepting our limitations is the first step to serenity. The second is acknowledging God’s limitlessness. God remains in control at all times, so I don’t need to be. At no point does He become overwhelmed because he can switch things up in accordance with his will any day, any time. We have evidence of God changing natural elements (Exodus 10:19), changing times and seasons (Daniel 2:21) and changing people’s hearts (1 Samuel 10:9), among other things.

One story that demonstrates God’s ability to change even that which is deemed unchangeable is the story of Daniel in the lion’s den.
“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lion’s den…A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so Daniel’s situation might not be changed.” Daniel 6:16-17

I love how the text emphasizes that means were made so that Daniel’s situation couldn’t be changed. But that couldn’t stop God. Of course the change we might expect is that God take Daniel out of the den, but God brings about change differently by sending an angel to shut the mouths of the lions. So sometimes we are frustrated that God has not changed a situation because we have defined how it should change, even put a timeline in place. But God has other ideas, ideas which will glorify him best as the God who changes things yet never he himself never changes.

So as we wrap off this year, let’s end it on the right note. Let us refuse anxiety and reject discontent. Rather, let us acknowledge that we are weak and he is strong, and that his strength is enough to carry us through.

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God…let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…” Hebrews 4:9,11