Every one of us has been a desert traveler in our lives. You may not have physically crossed a sandy desert, but the mental, emotional, financial, physical, and spiritual challenges you have faced have beaten you down like the 120° rays from the sun.
5 Truths You Can Find
- In the desert is where the illusion of control you have over your life and others is stripped away.
- It is the place where you come face to face with what you believe.
- It is the place when you come to know your strengths and weaknesses.
- It is the place where you decide to walk with Christ or to keep trying to do things your own way.
- It is the place where you choose to hope and commit to holding on to Christ’s hand and finding your way through or giving up.
In my younger years, I didn’t even realize I was in the desert until I felt totally exhausted and I had an emotional meltdown. I felt helpless, vulnerable, and unsure of my strength. In my desert, I decided only Jesus could help me get through and made the decision to trust him.
So how can you tell if you are in a desert in your life before you are exhausted? The first question you need to ask yourself is, what are you stressed about and how is it affecting your peace?
God’s Truth
At the age of forty, while studying the topic of peace, I came across these two verses. These verses helped me realize that Christ’s peace was my warning signal and my compass for life. I didn’t have to find peace outside, because my peace comes from Jesus, who is living in me now.
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 NIV
The peace of Jesus balances and guides your mind, emotions, spirit, and life. When you are not at peace, this is the first red flag that you may be at the edge or entering a desert challenge in your life.
I have plunged myself into a desert many times by not seeking Christ’s wisdom before I make an important decision. When I have tried to do things on my own, or I let other people make important decisions for me without going to Jesus first, I have found myself in a desert full of trouble.
The longer I go without the living waters of peace from Jesus the worse my internal condition becomes and my external challenges look. I feel like I am caught in a dirt-devil depleting my strength, resources, and faith. When you sense your peace in Christ is being disrupted, stop and go to Jesus for direction. He promises to walk with you as he leads you in his peace. Trust him and keep praying or trying new steps until you feel his peace.
Prepare for Your Deserts
Take special precautions to make sure you guard against anything from disrupting your peace.
- Get at least eight hours of sleep to keep you in top physical, mental, and emotional condition. The devil loves nothing better than to have you deplete yourself. When you are weak, you let your guard down so he can bring thoughts of discouragement, regret, guilt, shame, and anger through your mind or other people.
- Check your boundaries to ensure they are healthy. Fortify boundaries that have become weak by using Christ’s example to love himself AS he loves others. I also recommend reading the book Boundaries: When to Say Yes and How to Say No, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.
- Use Christ’s resources living inside you. You have his love, grace, mercy, wisdom, understanding, discernment, forgiveness, gentleness, joy, peace, goodness, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
- When your peace is disrupted, let this be your warning that you are possibly on the edge of a desert.
Living in a progressive personal relationship with Jesus is vital for you to live in peace, as you keep growing your faith. As you partner with Jesus, you are empowered to live in his abundance of love, joy, peace, grace, and power. He is proof that when you love and serve God, and you confidently speak his word, you can overcome your challenging deserts in life. So, watch your peace. Stand strong in Christ, and you will live in his peace even in the midst of your deserts.
Ready to overcome the hidden stresses you are unaware of and thrive in peace? Sign up for your free discovery coaching call now at Living and Loving Fearlessly.
