Breathe In His Peace

When I read the story of Mary and Martha, I totally resonate with Martha.

There is nothing more frustrating during a stressful time than when the person you most need is not helpful. Have you been there? A new project is put on your already full plate at work, and your coworker is too overwhelmed to be productive. Your home is filled with chaos after a day of crabby, fighting kids, and when your spouse finally comes home, they aren’t the relief you thought they would be.

Often we bank on a certain person or thing to solve our anxiety and stress. And when that thing fails, we don’t know what to do with ourselves! I would have been mad at Mary too! But what I’ve seen to be true in my own life is that so often there isn’t one simple fix to our stress and hurry. Typically the band-aid that we put all of our hope in doesn’t do what we thought it would do. Our spouse isn’t the perfect parent. The end of the quarter doesn’t bring a slower pace at work. And suddenly we’re dejected, realizing what we thought would be the fix wasn’t.

If I had to guess, I bet even if Mary had been in the kitchen helping Martha, Martha still would have found a reason to be mad at her sister.

The problem with the stressors in our life isn’t that we’re missing some magic solution. The problem is that we’re approaching stress with the wrong outlook.

If we begin to reshape our thinking, and re-center our hearts on the thing that truly matters, then we will see a reprieve from the constant worry and hurry. Because the truth is:

You don’t have control over what happens to you, but you do have control over how you respond.

There will always be stressors, but it’s up to you how you approach them.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4:6-7

We can respond to the fear by turning to Jesus and doing the one thing that truly matters - submit to Him. And then we will find peace. Let’s create a consistent rhythm of turning to God, presenting our requests to Him, and re-centering our hearts with His. Then when we experience the stresses of life, we can go back to the rhythm we’ve established. Psychologists today call it “mindfulness” or “grounding.” Whatever you call it, the practice of making space to re-center yourself is the mindset shift that allows us to navigate stress without being knocked to the ground.

One of my favorite tools I’ve used as I’ve navigated anxiety and panic attacks is breath prayers. Utilizing deep breathing, and then attaching prayers to those breathing exercises, has created an incredible rhythm that I use several times throughout the day to re-center my heart on Jesus.

Breath prayer is a practice that has been around for centuries, and ChristianityToday.com provides a helpful explanation: “Breath prayer links your rhythm of breathing in this way: 1) breathe in, calling on a biblical name or image of God, and 2) breathe out, sharing a simple God-given desire. Here is one breath prayer: Breathe in, “Be Still and Know.” Breathe out, “That I am God.”

There are a myriad psychological, physical, and spiritual benefits to this style of prayer. This simple practice can be used throughout the day to inhale and exhale a few repetitive words to the Lord connected to scripture, your needs, or just a symbol of God’s hope.

Breathe in and out to Him. Center yourself. And receive His love. Let’s pray this together, as many times as you need: “Father God (inhale) … give us peace (exhale).”

Cristina Schmitter

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