If you missed yesterday's Blog you may want to read it first. Today, is part two of a two part series on how we can have the "Peace of God" in the midst of great storms, turmoil, and adversity of various kinds.
The world cannot give you, nor teach you how to experience "Peace of God". You can chant, do yoga, practice your bio-rhythms, pop your pills or take a drink, listen to your meditation music, consume your herbs, burn your aromatic candles or shop til you drop and you will not find the inward tranquility that God can give. The world can’t supply it nor can you find it in yourself. It comes from God alone.
The world cannot give you, nor teach you how to experience "Peace of God". You can chant, do yoga, practice your bio-rhythms, pop your pills or take a drink, listen to your meditation music, consume your herbs, burn your aromatic candles or shop til you drop and you will not find the inward tranquility that God can give. The world can’t supply it nor can you find it in yourself. It comes from God alone.
Philippians 4:4-9 (NKJV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
We discussed how to have the "Peace of God." We have peace with God when we take Him as our Savior, but many--never have the "Peace of God." So, I wanted to share four keys to having the "Peace of God." The first thing was prayer, the second thing was thanksgiving and today we look at the other two:
3. Dwell on the Positive.
The third key to peace of mind is partially connected to the second - when it comes to our thinking, dwell on the positive. Paul commands, in verse 8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”
I tend to believe that this is the key to our having peace of mind where we fail most. Too often we allow our minds to dwell on the negatives in our lives than on the positives. We are quite adept to seeing our glass as half empty rather than half full.
4. Obedience to God’s Word.
The last key to enjoying Divine peace of mind is striving to obey the teachings of the New Testament. Paul says, in verse 9, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.”
There are three ways that obedience leads to peace.
A. If we obey God’s Word, we will avoid many pitfalls in this life that bring unnecessary heartaches and headaches. We can stay away from so many problems and troubles if we would truly strive to apply the teachings of Christ to our lives. Psalms 119:165, “Those who love Thy law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.” Proverbs 3:1-2, “Do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;….peace they will add to you.”
B. True peace comes when you know in your heart and mind that you are doing all that you can to please God.If we are sincere in our religion, our conscience will be troubled as we know that we are not walking in obedience. Paul said, in Acts 24:16, "I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.” With obedience comes a clear and clean conscience. A clear and clean conscience promotes peace of mind.
C. Lastly, the teachings of Christ emphasize looking beyond self and serving others.The more we take our focus off ourselves - our predicaments, our troubles, our difficulties, our afflictions - and focus on how we can make life brighter for someone else or how we can glorify God, our minds will be liberated. We need to put into practice Christ’s demand for selfless service. Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.”
These are the four keys to inward peace presented by the Apostle Paul:
1. Prayer
2. Daily Giving Thanks.
3. Dwelling on the Positive.
4. Obedience to the Lord’s Commandments.
ACTION STEP: I would strongly exhort each one of us to put thought and effort into applying these four keys to our daily lives. The God of peace wants us to enjoy His peace.
I close by quoting Paul, from 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.”
3. Dwell on the Positive.
The third key to peace of mind is partially connected to the second - when it comes to our thinking, dwell on the positive. Paul commands, in verse 8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”
I tend to believe that this is the key to our having peace of mind where we fail most. Too often we allow our minds to dwell on the negatives in our lives than on the positives. We are quite adept to seeing our glass as half empty rather than half full.
4. Obedience to God’s Word.
The last key to enjoying Divine peace of mind is striving to obey the teachings of the New Testament. Paul says, in verse 9, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.”
There are three ways that obedience leads to peace.
A. If we obey God’s Word, we will avoid many pitfalls in this life that bring unnecessary heartaches and headaches. We can stay away from so many problems and troubles if we would truly strive to apply the teachings of Christ to our lives. Psalms 119:165, “Those who love Thy law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.” Proverbs 3:1-2, “Do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;….peace they will add to you.”
B. True peace comes when you know in your heart and mind that you are doing all that you can to please God.If we are sincere in our religion, our conscience will be troubled as we know that we are not walking in obedience. Paul said, in Acts 24:16, "I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.” With obedience comes a clear and clean conscience. A clear and clean conscience promotes peace of mind.
C. Lastly, the teachings of Christ emphasize looking beyond self and serving others.The more we take our focus off ourselves - our predicaments, our troubles, our difficulties, our afflictions - and focus on how we can make life brighter for someone else or how we can glorify God, our minds will be liberated. We need to put into practice Christ’s demand for selfless service. Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.”
These are the four keys to inward peace presented by the Apostle Paul:
1. Prayer
2. Daily Giving Thanks.
3. Dwelling on the Positive.
4. Obedience to the Lord’s Commandments.
ACTION STEP: I would strongly exhort each one of us to put thought and effort into applying these four keys to our daily lives. The God of peace wants us to enjoy His peace.
I close by quoting Paul, from 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.”
For further reading here is a little story that I think is a picture of "Peace of God".
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.
As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.
A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel it’s cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.
A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.
As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.
A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel it’s cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.
A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
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