How Do I Achieve Peace?
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Philippians 4:6-7 reads:
6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.
Paul writes that there is a peace that God provides that goes beyond all understanding. So, this brings a number of questions to mind, beginning with what does peace mean to you?
Do you feel like you have peace right now?
God wants you to have peace. However, it can be very difficult to find peace.
Read Psalm 23:
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
What do these verses tell us about peace?
What do they tell us about how God is there to help us through our challenging times so that we can have peace?
Standing in the Way of Your Peace
The Bible makes it clear that we can have peace, but lots of things stand in our way. Let’s examine a couple of things that deny us peace, and what God can do to help us overcome those challenges.
Cares of the World
The primary thing that will take away your peace are the things you worry about. The concerns you have. We discussed this when talking about worrying, but what things make you worry? What cares are tearing away at your peace?
The cares of the world can destroy your piece on many levels, but the biggest of these is that they draw you away from God. They get you to focus your eyes off Him. Isaiah 26:3 states, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
It is imperative that during our tumultuous times that we turn our attention to God even more. God has big shoulders and is there to help you.
Do you find it hard to focus your attention on God when you worry or focus on the cares of the world?
How could you gaze upon God during these times?
Forgetting Who God Is
Why don’t we have peace? Inevitably, it is a lack of trust in God. Why do we not trust God? Because we forget how big our God is. God can do anything, including giving you peace during your difficult times.
Think of a situation where you are struggling to obtain peace. Do you believe that God is big enough for your problem?
God is not going to necessarily remove you from the situation. However, He is big enough to take you through the challenges you face. Inevitably, He will help you to “lie down in green pastures,“ leading you “beside still waters.”
This is probably where people face the biggest challenge – they have no idea what peace looks like. They have never seen peace. They have never really felt peace. So, believing that God can lead them beside still waters is a foreign idea.
How do you view peace in your own life?
How do you think God views peace for your life?
Trusting in a big God who can do anything to assist you, what are some ways that you can start to see God’s view of peace for your life?
You Are Never Separated from God
Romans 8:38-39 reads:
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The ultimate way for you to have peace is by resting in the love of God. Paul makes it clear that you can never be removed from God’s love.
Do you believe that God loves you? He does, so can you believe that He also has peace for you?
Spend some time praying about how God can bring you peace.
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