Wage Peace
by Marilynn Chadwick
Peace is a priority in our home. A peaceful home refreshes David and blesses our family. If I’m intent upon “waging peace,” it helps to know my enemies.
The quickest way to rob the peace is through worry. Anxiety can drain our family’s energy and quench calm faster than just about anything. And it’s contagious. When the kids were small, if I became worried, they would worry, too.
Worry is also exhausting. I agree with a friend who coined this acronym for W-O-R-R-Y: “Worry Only Robs Rest from You.”
Worry says loud and clear that I don’t trust God. But when I refuse to be anxious, when I trust God and remain peaceful, I help create a climate of peace.
However, there were times early in our marriage when fear held me in its grip. Fear of storms, fear of intruders, fear of illness, fear of flying. You name it – I probably wrestled with it.
But I’ve learned to be ruthless. Through the promises in God’s Word, lots of prayer, and putting faith into action, I have wrestled most of my fears to the ground. I’m not completely worry-free, but I can tell you I no longer feel like a prisoner to fear.
These twin invaders, fear and anxiety, wreak havoc on a home and a marriage. God doesn’t treat fear and worry as small things. He says to “cast all your anxiety on him” because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). He commands us to have no fear and “be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV). As with any stubborn problem, the first step is to confront anxiety head-on and call it out for the enemy that it is.
There are some who suffer a more extreme version of anxiety—perhaps even full-fledged panic attacks. I’ve seen friends and extended family members caught in its grip. If fear is like getting attacked by a lion, anxiety is like being chewed slowly to death by a poisonous coral snake. Both are deadly. Sometimes the battle is too fierce to wage alone, and a good Christian counselor can help you take steps to get at the root of the anxiety.
Discover God’s path to a better marriage
A key to making your marriage the best it can be isn’t a secret. God commands spouses to give honor to one another – and blesses them for doing so!
David Chadwick and his wife, Marilynn, unpack the biblical meaning of honor in these two special books, Eight Great Ways to Honor Your Husband and Eight Great Ways to Honor Your Wife.
You’ll find humor, humility and a passion for Christ that will inspire you to love your spouse in new ways that:
- Reignite the “spark” you remember
- Deepen trust and the intimacy you long for
- Connect you to God’s original and joy-filled intent for marriage
Both books are our way of saying thanks for your gift below to help share Jesus and the life-changing new perspective He gives.
For more from Moments of Hope, visit us at MomentsofHope.org.
