Have you heard the doctor’s prognosis, & just have God’s peace sweep over you? Or you’ve experienced tragedy, but sensed deep down God would take care of you? Maybe you were denied what you really were hoping for, but somehow knew that it was going to be OK anyway-that God still had a plan for you?
In an age of escalating anxiety, internal peace as a sense of well-being can be a distinguishing mark of a Christian. God’s promise of presence brings a centeredness; a serenity of the soul, an absence of anxiety and anger. Sounds good, right? But maybe you’re thinking, “I’m not experiencing that peace. If I could just get rid of all those things (or people) that create anxiety and anger in my life, THEN I could have peace.” If that’s the case, then you’ll NEVER have peace because as long as you’re alive, you’ll always have conflict & problems.
Peace comes not by getting rid of our problems but by focusing our thoughts on what God wants us to think about. It has to be pursued by asking for God’s peace. First prayer, then peace. If you’re not praying, you’re likely to be worrying. You can panic or pray. Turn your worries into prayers. Prayer may not change the situation, but it changes you.
What’s robbing you of peace? Guilt? Finances? Job? Surgery? A difficult person? Talk to Him about what’s troubling you, you’ll feel better, AND He can do something about them. Trust God! He’s big enough to solve our problems; change our attitudes; & calm our emotions. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 ).
That’s your antidote. His peace transcends troubles & worry. It goes deeper than emotions to a calm confidence in our spirits that He is with me; He is in control; He is good & working all things for my good…even when things don’t make sense. All questions will not be answered in this life, so trust leads to peace. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3). Even in the storm, His peace is the eye of the hurricane, & “It is well with my soul” & the world can’t take that away.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). “Guard” is a military term picturing soldiers standing on sentry duty, keeping out all the troubling thoughts so you can rest. So many are living in fear, despair, & anger because they throw open the gate to all these tormenting thoughts, inviting them to take over & rule their minds. The next verse in Philippians tells us to choose carefully what we think about. To change the way you act, you gotta change the way you think; to change the way you think, you gotta change what you think about. What are you filling your mind with? Do you fill your thoughts with God’s thoughts? Do you focus on God’s Word? If people would absorb this promise, half of the psychiatrists would have to go out of business.
There’s a reason why you’ll find Bibles in hospitals & doctors’ waiting rooms. When’s the last time you sat still & focused on the Lord? Let the Bible speak into your life & give you a whole new perspective.