Yesterday, we ended our discussion with the query of “How to find lasting peace.” We took away two major ideas from the following words of Jesus:
- “These things I have spoken to you, that IN ME you may have peace. In the world you WILL have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
- “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
- God’s peace is clearly not the absence of trouble, but rather a rest and a sense of calm which exists in spite of trouble; and
- God’s peace is a supernatural gift that only exists in His presence.
In these verses, we know Jesus was talking to His disciples, thus, we know this remarkable gift of peace is given to those who are born again. Salvation is definitely a prerequisite to possessing God’s peace. But you may look around and say,
“It seems like lots of people who say they are Christians are NOT experiencing extraordinary peace; in fact, they seem just as anxious as everyone else. And—this actually includes me!!! Why is this???”
Well, I’ll share a huge secret I’ve learned in my last few years of walking with God: When something besides God is my center—I NEVER have HIS peace.
Indeed, I have come to call a God-centered life “walking the path of peace.” The fact is—because God is not anxious—we cannot be concurrently anxious and also have God as our center. But we often tell ourselves that God is the most important part of our life. Is this true? There are some simple ways I test myself to see if God is my center:
- If money makes me more or less anxious—then I’m relying on money as my source of peace.
- If human relationships yo-yo my peace—then I’m relying on people as my sources of peace.
- When the way I look or feel controls my anxiety—then I’m relying on those shallow things as my source of peace.
- When a nasty google review, a hateful word, a health crisis, a…[you fill in the blank]…causes my peace to be replaced by anxiety—then I’m relying on those circumstances to give me peace.
My friend—we have VERY little control over ANY of these things AND—they are CRUEL masters.
They are not purveyors of permanent peace. BUT, as a born again believer, I DO have control over my relationship with God. I CAN choose to make God the center of my life, and therefore, I CAN possess His peace! Over and over again, I have experienced the following truth:
The MORE God is my center, the GREATER I have supernatural peace;
the LESS God is my center, the LESS I have His peace.
To have GOD’s peace, GOD must be the center of my life.
God inhabits His peace. So, if we refuse to allow God to fill EVERY room of our life (personal life, work life, finances, entertainment, etc.), we obviously won’t experience His peace in the areas where we’ve cut Him off, and…every other area as well. Why? Because God is righteous and the poison of idolatry (not making God our center) infects every room in the home of our heart.
My friend, Lordship is the central struggle for ALL Christians! We must fight to keep the Prince of Peace as the center of every area of our life!
Without Jesus at the center of all we do, we cannot have His peace. But when Jesus is central in ALL we think, speak, do AND—our greatest purpose is to glorify Him—then we WILL be in FULL possession of HIS peace.
To have God’s peace, His presence must be our greatest treasure.
God’s gift of peace is bestowed upon those who seek to love Him with all their heart, soul, and mind.
God’s peace doesn’t eliminate conflict or trouble, but it gives us the ability to endure through it. It is an inner confidence which is gained through a deep relationship with God as Someone who has—proven faithful in the past—will carry us through the current situation, and bear us up into an uncertain future.
Having a strong sense of God’s presence removes our fear and worry and replaces it with the peace of His presence.
The source of our supernatural peace is 100% Jesus. If we desire to possess the peace of God, we must understand this is impossible without the presence of God; thus, we must resolve to hate our sin and learn to love His righteousness. It’s a daily journey. Indeed, it is the struggle for every Christian! But, this supernatural peace that “passes understanding” which comes from Christ is so worth it! Paul, while in PRISON wrote:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
God isn’t anxious about anything.
If you want peace, don’t buy into the lie we often tell ourselves about worry:
“I can’t help it–that’s just how I am. I am a worrier!”
Often, the brutal truth isn’t that we don’t want to turn over our troubles to God—it’s that we don’t want to turn EVERYTHING ELSE over to God. We want to hang on to our own ways because we are afraid of what full surrender to God looks like. What if His plan means we’ll have to give away our money? What if His plan is for us to change our profession? What if…right…the list is endless. We want Him to help us with the messes and the storms, but we don’t want to give Him control of everything else.
This is insane thinking!
Why are we so afraid of turning over our life to God—who gave EVERYTHING so He could have a relationship with us???
Our irrational fear causes us to carry the full weight of the immense anxiety that accompanies our independence from God. God has the answer for EVERY situation…but we will NOT get HIS answers without HIS presence. Nor will we have His peace—without His presence!
God has a remarkable plan for your life. Seek Him daily by reading and meditating upon His Word. Spend time praying like Jesus taught us to pray—in adoration, confession, supplication, intercession, and thanksgiving.
Draw close to God, entrust 100% of your life into His hands, AND He WILL give you His remarkable gift of supernatural peace.
We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.
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