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Presented by Lisa Bishop
Life will not always go the way you planned and there will be many times your peace can be disrupted, even rocked. So I want to spend some time anchoring us in God’s Word because frankly, we all need reminders of truth to keep us grounded when times are rough.
It is easy to feel peace when everything (or at least most things) in life are going well, but let’s be honest. When you hit bumps in the road, when disappointments, delays or losses strike, holding onto peace, well it can feel like it’s slipping through your hands.
A good friend of mine called me the other day to let me know her husband was let go from his job. They have two kids, no savings, they had just paid off their debt, and boom. Out of seemingly nowhere their only source of income was stripped away. Food stamps, frugality, and freezing all unnecessary purchases would soon become their reality. The circumstances certainly called for panic, but my friend was determined to hold onto her peace.
When is a time where your peace was threatened? A sudden job loss, a conflict in a relationship, financial strain, your reputation being called into question. Maybe you are currently experiencing anxiety, nervousness, fear of the future, or inner turbulence over circumstances in your life. A lack of peace can feel intrusive. Ruminative thought patterns, racing heartbeat, intense feelings of uncertainty, worry, depression—that heaviness that just sits on your chest like a ton of bricks.
We have all felt peace lacking in our lives, so what do you do when the inevitable pervasive peacelessness happens? How do you prepare for seasons that threaten to throw you off kilter and into a sea of unsettledness? The Bible is filled with verses that instruct us about peace. Various forms of the word peace are found 429 times in the King James version of the Bible so it must be an important thing for you to grasp, or better yet for peace to get a hold of you.
Yet why does peace seem so evasive? I think one reason is because we can tend to intellectualize peace rather than receive the peace that is ours in Jesus and by the power of his Holy Spirit. We read the 400+ verses of peace in the Bible but it just sounds like a nice benefit of following Jesus and we don’t receive it as a birthright.
If we are honest, we can think that peace is something we muster up or need to strive for rather than settle into, and our self-effort disappoints over the long haul. I am not saying that we do not have to work hard to experience peace, we do. We need to be intentional about believing what God’s Word says about peace, believe that Jesus and Holy Spirit are our peace, and make an effort to live into what is already given us. But too often we resort to human striving to create peace rather than the supernatural receiving of it.
You know the saying, “When life gives you lemons…. Make lemonade.”
It is a proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune. Lemons being analogous to the sourness or difficulty in life and making lemonade meaning turning them into something positive or desirable. While the concept is not a bad one, and it is important to have a positive perspective, real lasting peace has more depth, sustainability and stability when we find it first and foremost in the person of Jesus Christ.
In John 14:25-27 after three years of earthly ministry, Jesus, as he prepares his disciples for his physical departure from earth says to them, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Don’t miss this! This is huge. Jesus is departing his earthly dwelling and imparting a greater gift to his followers, the indwelling of his Holy Spirit. The ceaseless presence of God’s peace, his Holy Spirit, dwells in you! Jesus’ peace is inseparable with his presence and he says that he is with you until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
As Sam Storms, pastor and author says, “Jesus isn’t simply making a statement of fact. He is actually and literally and truthfully imparting peace into the lives of his disciples. He isn’t saying, ‘I hope you will be at peace in the days ahead,’ …… He is truly giving them peace. He is taking from the peace that is in his own heart and experience and infusing it into theirs. This isn’t just a theological declaration. It is an experiential impartation, as a result of which they now have the very peace of Jesus exerting a transforming and empowering influence on how they think and speak and act.”
To experience the peace of God requires being attune to the presence of God and belief in his promise to you. “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.” (John 14:27 NLT).
And when Jesus says he is giving you a gift, that means there are no strings attached. You do not have to earn the gift, it’s part of your inheritance as his son or daughter. It’s your openness to receive, to know you are worthy of this divine gift of peace that will position you to possess it, to take hold of what is yours as one who is deeply loved by God. Peace of mind has been defined as the absence of mental stress or anxiety, inner calm, or a feeling of contentment. It’s being at ease and centered amidst the chaos. The peace Jesus offers is, as the Greek word implies, “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.” The word for peace, shalom, never means simply the absence of trouble. It means everything which makes for our highest good, even in the most undesirable of circumstances.
And we know that the true peace of mind that Jesus promises is not based on circumstances because as he was instructing the disciples before his impending death and resurrection he also said, “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” (John 16:33). In this world you will have trouble, disappointment, discouragement, loss and heartache but take heart. God’s peace is greater and reflects his divine character, strength, love, goodness, sovereignty, dominion, and power. And when Jesus says, “The peace I give is a gift the world cannot give,” (John 14:27) it is a loving warning. Jesus knew you and I would be tempted to find our peace in places other than his presence.
Where do you seek your peace? Another way of thinking about that question is, “Where or what do you run to for comfort?” Full disclosure, for me, sometimes I run to food. I have been known to seek comfort at the bottom of a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chubby Hubby ice-cream. No joke, it’s true. And that ends up leaving me with a temporary sugar high and a belly ache. And inevitably in my indulgence, regret always follows. Because I know that comfort, true peace, cannot be found at the bottom of a container of ice-cream; in a spouse, a job promotion, or 10,000 likes on social media. Jesus says, “And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.”
What does your attempt at creating comfort, at self-soothing, look like? Do you distract yourself with busyness when life is hard? Maybe you go to excessive working out, gaming, or social media. A glass of wine or two before bedtime just to relax or, pot-smoking, productivity, or pornography. Perhaps you purchase a lot of “stuff” because you think one more Amazon Prime deal will bring you serenity.
When I ask you this it is by no means an intention to judge or condemn you. No, we all do it! It is a reminder to reflect on places of false peace and focus on truth. Focusing on food, finances, numbing and mind-altering substances; status at work, a slim waist or a fat bank account will not satisfy you long term. Running to those things will come up short because peace is not a means of escape but rather a state of being captivated by Christ.
The world spins peace as an escape. True peace is settling in. It’s experienced by running to Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-9 gives us the prescription for accessing God’s peace.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
This is a BOLD promise of God for you!
Do you want peace?
Rejoice
Trade your anxiousness for prayer.
Be thankful.
And you will have peace that dumbfounds those around you. Because your peace is rooted in the living Word and not the world, and serenity will be yours even when your circumstances dictate otherwise.
God’s peace will guard your heart and mind and this word guard means, “to protect by a military guard; to prevent hostile invasion.” But you have to believe it to receive it!
As Paul is approaching the end of his letter in chapter 4 of Philippians, he uses the word “finally.” This is intended to get our attention. The word “finally” points to a focal point. To gain peace, fix your mind on things that are pure, excellent, and praiseworthy. You will experience God’s presence when you put his peace into practice.
In order to guard your peace, you have to know and meditate on truth. So do a mind check. What do you fill your mind with? If you spend too much time soaking in the news, Thread, or Twitter, and not on the Word of God you are already setting yourself up for restlessness. Defend your peace and fill your mind with the truth of God’s Word. Put on some worship music and praise him, especially when you don’t feel like it. It will do wonders for your weariness.
In the early 90’s the movie Forest Gump was released. One of the memorable lines of the movie was, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”
While it may be true that life can be unpredictable, you can be certain that you have a God that never changes and that he works all things for your good and his glory. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and as his son or daughter you have been gifted peace because you are the Beloved of God in Christ Jesus. Which means, when life is unpredictable, as a Believer you have an obligation to “let the peace of God rule in your heart” as Colossians 3:15 instructs. This means you have the choice either to trust God’s promises (letting his peace rule) or to rely on yourself or the world and reject the peace he offers you.
So, when you find yourself in the throes of the woes of life, there are two words I want you to remember. But God.
I may be worried about my future, but God.
I may be worried about my finances, but God.
I may be worried about my health, but God.
I may be worried about my job, but God.
I may be worried about my kids, my husband, my calling, my career, my ability to caretake for my aging parent…. BUT GOD.
Acknowledge God’s presence and ask him to help you experience his peace. “Jesus, Holy Spirit, thank you that you give me peace, help me encounter your presence. Help me feel your peace.”
When you walk with God, peace is a tangible sign of God’s presence. Peace is not based on conditions; peace is based on proximity to Jesus. Peace empowers you to live a life that rejects anxiety and panic. You are a new creation made in God’s image lean into him as you learn how to come into his peace.
Peace is a practice. It is a discipline – training your heart and mind to rest on and in Jesus in times of unrest. When anxious thoughts and negative mindsets enter in, picture the presence of Jesus. External pressures and circumstances will try to disrupt peace but your peace is in you.
You are anchored in God’s peace.
You have the mind of the Lord.
Worrying cannot add an hour to your life.
What thoughts do you need to bring under the mind of Christ?
When you fix your eyes on Jesus and are present to the presence of his Holy Spirit, his peace that transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind, in him.
You know one of my favorite things to do when I sense my peace fading is to listen to worship music. There is a song called “Firm Foundation” that I have often blasted on repeat and sung at the top of my lungs. “Christ is my firm foundation, the Rock on which I stand. When everything around me is shaken, I’ve never been more glad that I put my faith in Jesus, He’s never let me down. He’s faithful through every season, so why would He fail now. He won’t.”
He is faithful in every season. Ask him to help you access his peace. He will. As Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Receive this blessing from 2Thessalonians 3:16. “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way.”