Peace. It is more than the absence of strife. It is more than the absence of fear. It is a gift from the Lord and is available for every believer, though many are missing out. I hope that the peace of God rules your life, but if it doesn't keep reading. If worry robs you of peace or if strife and chaos rob you of peace, then read on.
First, He himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). To experience the peace of Christ we must know Him. To know Him we admit that we are sinners and need His forgiveness. When we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
So, peace is only for believers, but many believers still don't live in the peace offered to them. Why? If they are like I was many years ago, then they simply don't realize that they have allowed the enemy of their souls to rob them of the peace given by God. We do that by tolerating fear, anxiety, strife or chaos to rule in our hearts.
You may think you have no control over how you feel, but you do. We can let our emotions rule our lives, or we can--with the help of the Holy Spirit--learn a better way. Do you know that peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit? That means you can't come up with it on your own. It is a gift that grows in our lives as we allow the Holy Spirit to reign in our hearts. God tells us not to worry or be anxious (Philippians 4:6-7). He tells us to instead bring our cares to Him and the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
We give up our peace when we let fear, worry, chaos and strife rule in our hearts and minds instead of bringing our needs to the Lord. I understand how true this is because when I learned this lesson I was consumed with anxiety, chaos and strife. I had no idea that I could do something about it either. But God showed me how to recognize the things that were robbing me of my peace and to find my peace in Him through prayer and thanksgiving.
Like Jesus who told the storm to, "Be Still!" I learned to tell my heart to be still. I learned to choose to believe God's Word more than I believed my emotions. I let the Holy Spirit teach me how to stand strong on the Word instead of letting the enemy throw me into a tizzy every time trouble came around.
Jesus didn't say there would be no trouble. He said that we could have His perfect peace in the midst of the trouble (John 16:33).
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Our peace comes from Him. Remember He is with you always. He has given you peace, and He wants you to live in the kind of peace that allowed Him to be asleep in the back of the boat during a storm while His disciples were filled with fear. They didn't understand that He was Lord of the storm! And He was with them. They could rest in Him. He had the power to change the situation or keep them safe through it.
In the same way, we can rest in Him. He is our peace, and He will keep our hearts and minds at peace as we learn to trust Him more than what we see or feel. When you are worried or anxious, run to Jesus. Ask Him to teach you how to experience the peace He has for you. He knows what you need in every situation. Trust Him to guide you through, for He is indeed the Prince of Peace!
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