Peace
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was this “Peace Movement.” I was a child, but I remember the peace signs, the hand gestures, and the posters with the neon lights all declaring “peace.” Peace is a place in our lives that we all strive for, and God has the only way for perfect peace. Jesus says in John 14:27, "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." Now that is true peace!!!
God says in Isaiah 26:3 ISV, "You will keep perfectly peaceful the one whose mind remains focused on you, because he remains in you." Wow! Our thoughts and our minds are important to having peace! If we remain focused on Him, we will have peace. Sometimes we say that we trust God and His word, but our thoughts are fearing and doubting.
What we let our mind focus on is what we will believe.
If we pray, “God protect my child” and then our thoughts go to places like, “I hope they make right choices. I fear that they might (fill in the blank),” then do we really believe that He’s going to protect our child? Another thing we pray for is the favor of God in our lives, but we really don't believe that He has that kind of power. When we think like that, how are we focusing our thoughts?
Peace is a place of spiritual power, so the warfare is in our minds and on our thoughts.
Peace allows the Holy Spirit to move in our circumstances. If we get faced with life stuff and go off the deep end with our emotions, then we become so fearful that our mind might run off into dark places. Before you realize it, anxiety has slipped in; depression has overshadowed us, and we have no hope. This is not what victory looks like. Paul says in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” God wants us to react according to His peace (which is power) that He gives us.
I think of the story of Jesus calming the storm, (Matthew 8:23-27 and Mark 4:35-41). We all have times in our lives where there is a storm raging. We might feel in those times like Jesus is asleep and not aware of what is happening. Have faith in His power to calm the storms; keep your focus on His promises, not your problems/circumstances. He is is only one that gives true peace in the time of storms. Peace is a place of faith, not in our own emotions.
Peter walked on raging waters when he keep his focus on Jesus (Matthew 14:22-33). I love this example that God gives us, because He knew that I needed a visual of what focusing on Him looks like. We can walk on water in faith, get out of the boat, and trust God. We're trusting in Jesus for many prayers to be answered and we feel full of faith. We start walking on water and then suddenly get hit by a wave (an unexpected circumstance) and then another wave of life hits you hard, but your focus is on Jesus. With that focus, you are still walking on water, but then one big wave hits and you turn your focus off of Jesus and on to the wave. When our eyes get off Him who is our place of peace and trust, then our focus is redirected into the fear and doubt and anxiety of the wave. When we focus on the wave, we feel in our emotions that we are drowning. We know that Jesus is right there, but we can't seem to get back to walking on water. We are sinking in our own emotions. Peter cries out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Jesus calms the storms. Peace is the power that He gives each of us.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. “