“You can have peace in the midst of your storm” is a gospel favorite of mine. Though the words seem paradoxical, they are true. You can have peace in the midst of your storm, not because you necessarily believe that the storm will end and things will get better. But because your focus is not on the storm but on Jesus—the one who gives peace—the one who is the Prince of Peace.

The disciples were caught in a storm. Their boat was taking on water. It seemed death was imminent. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep. In a panic, the disciples woke Jesus and basically said, “Don’t you care that we are about to die!” Jesus, however, did not feed into their panic-stricken emotions. Instead, He wondered at their lack of faith. Then He spoke to the storm, and calm was restored to the sea (Matthew 8:23-27).

No one is exempt from life and that simply means that we will face storms. Notice that even though Jesus was right in the midst of the disciples, a storm was still raging around them. Your storm can be anything. It can be illness, loss, fear, hardships, addiction, job security, hurt, or suffering of any kind. Anything that disrupts and tries to rob you of your peace is a storm, and the worst thing about storms is that if you are not careful, you can allow them to completely absorb your thoughts and control your responses.

Since storms are inevitable, you must then find a way to have peace in the midst of them, and the only way to do this is to shift your focus. Simply put, take your mind off the storm, and focus your thoughts on Jesus. Here is what the prophet Isaiah wrote, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you (Isaiah 26:3).

Fixing your thoughts on Jesus is how you can obtain peace in the midst of your storm. How exactly do you fix your thoughts on Jesus? The many possible ways include praying consistently, reading and meditating on the Word, memorizing and repeating the Word, reflecting on the promises of God and reciting them, listening to and singing worship songs, having biblical conversations with people, attending church, and fellowshipping with others, listening to sermons; serving others. The idea of fixing your thoughts on the Lord is to become consumed with Jesus, which results in peace, and not to become consumed with your storm, which results in unrest.

If you are going through a storm right now, shift your focus. Yes, it is easier said than done, but you have to work at it. You cannot allow thoughts about your problems to consume you. Replace those thoughts with a song or with scriptures — “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou are with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). “What time I am afraid. I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3). Don’t let your thoughts push you around. You should be the one doing the pushing.