There is no disputing it
that in such a world in which we live today, one, if not the greatest need and
quest of many today is true peace within the soul... With the chaos, confusion,
and challenges all around us. which has tagged along with the advancements in
the civilization of our current Age, we find that the quest for true
peace of mind has today become almost as vital as the other basic needs of
man...
We would also find it
rather amazing that even the so-called rich and famous in the land who many
think have everything going good for them are equally in search of true
peace as much as the poor and the needy; invariably suggesting that this
peace is indeed no respecter of class, gender, race, and even religion... In
fact, virtually all the religions in our world today have this one thing in
common: they are all attempting to assist men to find true peace within their
souls in this present life and in the life after...
So, No doubt! There
surely is a kind of peace which does exist but which nothing in the physical or
natural realm can give... A kind of peace which not even the greatest
of life's challenges nor the worst of life's situations can disrupt... A kind
of peace that remains steady and still, even amid an atmosphere filled with
fear, worry, and anxiety, necessitated by the obvious facts and realities of
life in today’s world... It is a kind of peace that displays a degree
of confidence that could only be described as beyond the natural... That
supernatural peace which indeed only God can give; the same which is called
the peace of God!...
Amongst some of the
profound words of Jesus Christ is this one we find in John 16:33 (AMP)...
Jesus speaking said: "I have told you these things, so that in Me
you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation
and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be
confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived
it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]"
So, Jesus
made it clear in the above verse that challenges that would attempt to tamper with
the Believer's peace of mind are not only expected, but certain... And He
further gave us the surest means to safeguard our peace, which is to look to Him
as our source of true peace rather than depending on anyone else or anything
physical...
Indeed, no man who
walked the Earth exemplified the peace of God better than Jesus did; in the
face of a raging storm, the attacks and persecutions of men, and even in the
face of death... The Early Disciples also went on to follow Jesus' footsteps,
as many of them faced the same persecutions and trials, and even gave their
lives for their Faith...
We also find that peace
is listed as one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, as we see in
Galatians 5:22-23... This indicates that this peace of God can only be
received through the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) Who dwells within
the spirit of the Believer... So, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is
what makes the difference in the life of the Believer...
Also, the number of
times we find the word 'peace' mentioned in the New Testament buttresses the
fact that peace is indeed a vital need of every Believer who desires to live a
fruitful and victorious Christian life in our world which is growing darker
even as the End of this Age approaches...
Worry,
fear, and anxiety have proved to be some of the Enemy's most successful tools which
he employs to keep many in bondage today... But we thank God because
we as Believers can leverage on the peace of Christ even today!
Jesus speaking in John 14:27 (TPT) said: “I
leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given
by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your
hearts—instead, be courageous!"
And Paul the Apostle wrote in Philippians
4:6-7 (NLT): "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you
will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind
can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in
Christ Jesus."
So, we receive God’s kind of peace only
as we remain in Christ, yielding to His Holy Spirit rather than yielding to the temptation to worry or fear; Maintaining a heart of gratitude at all times, and casting all our burdens upon God in the
place of prayer…
Also, we must determine to fill our
hearts with God’s Word rather than filling our minds with the constant bad news
that flies all around us, especially in this social media age where all manner
of content is available at our fingertips… If we must have the peace of God, we
must of paramount necessity fix our thoughts on and meditate more upon what God
has said rather than what the media is saying…
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 26:3: “You
will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts
in You.”
And 2 Timothy 1:7 says: “For God
has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Yes! You can have absolute peace of
mind like Jesus had, no matter what life throws at you; because you have the
presence of the God with you and His Holy Spirit dwelling within you… This of
course does not mean that you will not face any challenges or that you become complacent
and oblivious of the existence of the problem, but that you won’t become overwhelmed,
fearful, worried, or depressed, and you live rest assured that no matter what
the situation is, God is above it, His promise never fails, and with Him on
your side, the situation will turn out for your good in the end…
You can even take it a step
further to pull others into the same peace which you have found in Christ,
because indeed, many today desire such peace above anything else…
And I pray for you, may the peace of
God guard your heart and mind, at all times, and in all circumstances, even as
you remain in Christ Jesus… Amen and Amen!
Thank you for reading!
You can do well to share this to encourage someone. God bless you!
#JesusChristIsLORD
#GODisStillinCharge
