Life can get complicated. Pressures pile up. Expectations grow heavier. And sometimes we look so far ahead that we forget the one thing God is asking of us in this moment. Not a thousand steps. Not a five-year plan. Just the next right thing.
Scripture gives us that simplicity. Take a look at Micah 6:8: “He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” That is not a long list. It’s not flashy. It’s not complicated. It is steady, clear obedience. And God ties peace to that kind of life.
We may lose our peace if we try to solve everything at once. We worry about the future. We replay the past. We feel overwhelmed by pressures at home, at church, at work, and in our own hearts. But Jesus points us to something far simpler.
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you… Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” — John 14:27
How do troubled hearts recover that peace? By taking the next small step of obedience. Not all of them at once. Just the next one.
Act justly
Start with integrity. Do what is right in front of you. That may be an apology. It may be telling the truth instead of shading it. It may mean making a decision based on what honors God rather than what is easiest. Small choices shape a whole life.
When you choose the right thing today, you stop carrying the weight of a guilty conscience tomorrow. And that brings peace.
Love faithfulness
Some translations say “love mercy.” The idea is a heart pulled toward steadfast kindness. It is choosing compassion instead of irritation. Grace instead of harshness. Forgiveness instead of storing up resentment.
This can feel small. One gentle response. One act of kindness. One moment of patience. But these small choices soften your heart and strengthen your walk with God.
Walk humbly with your God
This is the foundation. Humility keeps us grounded. It reminds us we are not in control. It frees us from pretending we have it all figured out.
A humble heart listens. It prays. It waits. It trusts that God will provide what we need for the moment we’re in—not for the imagined crises of tomorrow.
When you walk humbly with God, you stop trying to run ahead of Him. And peace grows.
The peace comes in the doing
Not because the doing earns anything. But because obedience aligns your heart with God’s will. It quiets fear. It clears the conscience. It keeps life simple. Jesus gives peace, and obedience makes room for that peace to fill your heart.
So ask yourself today: What is the next right thing?
Not every right thing—just the next one.
Is it a conversation you’ve been avoiding?
A prayer you’ve neglected?
A temptation you need to flee?
A word of encouragement someone needs right now?
A step back into worship and fellowship?
A simple act of trust?
Do that. And then tomorrow, do the next right thing again.
God does not ask you to carry the whole road. He only asks you to take the next step with Him. And when you do, you will find what Jesus promised: peace the world cannot give and cannot take away.
In many ways Isaiah 40:31 is all about doing the next right thing, and then having peace ☮️ with God that lifts one 🆙 for the next right thing. —- W.W.J.D.??!!!!
For the noted exhaltation within that verse is not a picture frought with trouble. But 1 of peace & victory & reward.