Currently, I am sitting in a coffee shop writing this devotion. It is 7:15 am, and my daughter is home with her daddy. Even though I’ve only been gone for 20 minutes (including travel time), I already want to go home. My arms feel empty and it feels like I have a heavy weight in my chest. Yes, I miss my daughter so much that I’m on the verge of tears, but I also feel awful being away from her, even for a moment. Mom guilt, they call it.

I know, deep down, that I am doing nothing wrong, but why do I feel like I can’t be away from home for a few hours—alone? It is something called unmet expectation. I am experiencing fear that I’m not meeting the expectations other people have of me being a new mother and it is also a result of the unrealistic expectations I have placed on myself.

Perhaps your situation is slightly different, but are you suffering from the anxiety of unmet expectations? Is your breathing shallow when it should be deep and peaceful?

Maybe the trajectory of your life is turning out different from what you expected. Maybe you thought you would be married by now. Maybe you thought your marriage would be stronger. Perhaps you are disheartened by a diagnosis. Or, you truly thought the thing you have struggled with for years would be conquered by now. The very real feeling of, “can I bear another burden,” could be on repeat and you feel like you can’t catch a break. What should we do when life takes a sudden turn? The Bible instructs us to, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth,” Colossians 3:2, NLT.

I’ve had an old song in my heart the past few weeks:

I know the peace speaker

I know Him by name

I know the peace speaker

He controls the winds and waves

When He says, “Peace, be still”

They have to obey

I’m glad I know the peace speaker

Yes, I know Him by name

Jesus is the peace speaker. 

The raging waves in your life can turn to a still, reflection pond in a moment, at one word from our creator. Pray, “Peace be still over my family.” “Peace be still over my marriage.” “Peace be still over this diagnosis.” “Peace be still over my finances.” “Peace be still over *fill in the blank*.

After reading this devotion can you do something for me? Can you close your eyes and breathe deeply for five long breaths in and five long breaths out. Then would you pray, “God, I give You control of this day. Take away the anxiety I feel and help me to walk in the newness of life. Release me of the expectations I have placed on myself and show me Your perfect will for my life. I choose to rest in Your peace today. Thank you for being the peace speaker.”

 

Author

Angela Overton is a lover of words, nature, and coffee. She is an ordained minister with the UPCI, has a Masters Degree in Theology, and loves to teach Bible studies. She and her amazing husband, Michael, pastor in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Comments are closed.