It would be an understatement to say that this year has been turbulent. But even amid violence and high tensions, as scripture reminds us, we should keep our eyes fixed on Heaven.
St. Teresa of Avila was no stranger to turbulence having been questioned by the inquisition as she worked to reform her order. Yet, she remained committed to her mission and ultimately to God. She wrote a beautiful prayer that can help us to do the same.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
Let’s break down this prayer and how it can help us today.
Let nothing disturb you
We are called to have peace. Jesus does not want us troubled and our peace disturbed, even when times are, well, disturbing. God is with us even in the storm.
Let nothing frighten you
Fear is not of God. He is in control so what should we fear? We can trust that God will work everything for our good. Even when we can’t see where the road leads, He can.
All things are passing away
“All is vanity” as the author of Ecclesiastes tells us. We live in the world and not of it. We should love and work for good in this world while knowing this is not our true home.
God never changes.Â
It may seem obvious, but this is essential. God’s love, his goodness, his mercy, his justice, his truth and his beauty are the same as they always have been. He does not fluctuate or waffle or follow whims. He is steady, sturdy, trustworthy. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Patience obtains all things
It may not be in the way we expect and rarely on our timetable but, with patience, God will answer our prayers. Sometimes he asks us to wait. We endure through difficulties and troubles knowing we will obtain what God promises us.
Whoever has God lacks nothing
We will have what we need. We will not lack anything that is necessary. When the culture or politics or even those closest to us fail us, God will provide. He always does.
God alone suffices.
What we need most of all is Himself. And if He is all we have, we have enough. God is where we find peace, what will endure, what we desire. He fills us, if we stop and let Him, if we are patient.
Perhaps that is what we need most of all right now: to stop and allow God to work.
Featured image public domain via wikimedia.