To overthrow our idolatry of self and thus heal our anxiety, God’s peace shines forth in the radiance of the mission of the Son, who comes to bring peace through his life, death, resurrection and ascension, and through sending the indwelling Holy Spirit.

We are not God. Most of the things that make us anxious are things we cannot fix. Why not let go of them and give them to the one who can?

With so many voices that we hear every day in the media speaking fear, there is also no more important time to remind ourselves and each other of the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who tells us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

My wife, Kissy, and I have come to realize that our shared experience of “The Church” through serving has given us the gift of knowing one another, our church communities and the Lord by serving in all these ministries together. We now have friends, successes, miracles and shared stories—sad, happy, hilarious and perplexing—that are a part of the story the Lord has been writing for OUR marriage.

Many of us have cried out to God as David did in Psalm 96:1. We’ve found ourselves sinking as we tread the depths of uncertainty and loneliness. As we navigate these unfamiliar waters we, like David, have become intimately acquainted with anxiety, depression, grief and fear, as well as anger and frustration.

Now, more than ever, it’s important that couples treat each other with kindness and compassion. But how, when it’s so easy to let the stress of this extraordinary time cause us to lash out or retreat inward instead?

God visits us in our dailiness. He endows the ordinary—the inglorious relational moments of marriage (conversations in a dirty kitchen while dinner cooks, phone calls during rush hour) with holy significance.

As we begin the season of Lent, take time to consider if the Holy Spirit is calling you to undertake a fast during this season, and if so, in what manner. Fasting is never easy and can be quite frustrating. But the promise is that it will give us more of Christ and that it will form us more and more into his image.

Lent is about rhythm. We are rhythmic creatures. We do things in sequences and steps, marching to the beats of drummers. The problem is, there are many drummers out there, pounding away to capture our attention, calling us to follow them and submit to their stories. Lent is the Jesus drum, calling us back into the left-right-left of God's story.

"On the Incarnation" and "None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God" are reviewed recommended as good readings for Advent.