Serenity, inner calm is an inner attitude, the ability, especially in difficult situations, to maintain composure or an unbiased attitude. It is the opposite of restlessness, excitement, nervousness and stress (source Wikipedia). It is often not easy to be or remain calm when we are faced with challenges and difficult situations. When things happen that we are not in control of, it is not easy to be calm. Nevertheless, we should practice serenity every day in the various situations and strive more and more for inner peace. Inner peace regardless of what happens around us. Serenity is good for our health, and the Bible even says that serenity extends our lives (see Proverbs 14:30).
What helps us to be calm? To be calm I need the confidence that my situation will turn out for the better. But what do I put my trust in? On my own strength, on having everything under control or maybe on other people? I need a foundation that I stand on, that gives me security and that I can rely on. Our own strength has its limits, it is impossible to have everything under control and we cannot rely on others either. There is only one that we can 100% rely on and trust in all of our circumstances. I mean the God of the Bible. If we build our house of life on Christ, if he is our foundation, nothing and no one will upset us so quickly.
“Even when the earth shakes and people are in turmoil, it is I who give support to their foundations” Psalm 75: 4
“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which has already been laid – Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 3:11
Faith in God helps me not to look at the circumstances but to focus my gaze on God. The certainty that God is there and that He has a good plan gives me serenity. He has everything under control, I don’t have to have everything under control myself. That’s why I can stay calm inside. God walks with me through challenges and difficulties. I can let myself fall into his hands. I can’t fall any deeper than in God’s hand. When I lose peace, I can keep reminding myself how great and mighty God is and that nothing is impossible for him. Don’t tell God how big your problem, but tell your problem how big is your god.
Serenity prayer (Reinhold Niebuhr): God give me the serenity to accept things that I can’t change, the courage to change things that I can change and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other. To live one day at a time to enjoy one moment at a time. To accept deprivation as a way to peace. To accept this sinful world as Jesus did and not in the way I would like them to be. To trust that you’ll do everything right if I give myself to your will, so that I may be pretty happy in this life and in the next forever overjoyed with you. Amen.
