John 14:27 (NKJV)
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Peace of mind is sought after vehemently by most people today. But, the greatest blunder most people make is the method by which they seek to obtain this peace. Many seek for money, fame, possessions, popularity, drugs, alcohol, sexual pleasure and many other forms of gratification which only bring a momentary peace for a very short time. God, on the other hand, grants us His peace at the moment of salvation which is durable throughout eternity.
Why is it then that we have such difficulty maintaining peace throughout the day? Our predicaments are usually based on focus. Paul told us, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful”, (Colossians 3:15, NKJV). Paul admonishes us to let God’s peace rule in our hearts, but this comes at a price. The previous verse, Colossians 3:14, tells us to put on love. We need to focus on the love of God and loving others persistently before we can walk in this peace. We also need to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16), which shows we need to regularly seek God and His word.
By practicing these principles, we can know God’s peace despite our surroundings. Anxiety hinders peace, lack of prayer cripples peace and lack of thankfulness destroys our Mindset for peace. Paul says, “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”, (Philippians, 4:6-7, NKJV). Focusing on Christ, what He has done for us in the past and His promises breed peace. His very words saying that He will never leave us should always bring about a sense of rest and peace.
We cannot produce this peace in and of ourselves. It is Christ alone by which we can know this peace, “For He Himself is our peace”, (Eph. 2:14a). Christ is our peace and one of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit is peace. At salvation we have peace with God, so it is then of utmost importance that we focus on God Himself, Who is our peace.
We also need to pass on this peace to others. We need to live out a peaceful lifestyle, showing the peace of God to others despite our situations. We also need to show grace and mercy to those who present a problem to us. Paul says, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men”, (Romans 12:18, NKJV). When others treat us poorly, we need to choose to focus on the love of God, on how many times He has forgiven us. Think about how He keeps on accepting us despite the way we act at times and then display that to others.
Thoughts, comment, objections, prayer requests.
Daniel A. Smith
No comments:
Post a Comment