In the world in which we live, and really since the beginning of time, true peace seems to be so elusive. No matter how diligently we seek peace, we often seem incapable of finding it. Our world is filled with people who want nothing more than to find just a few moments of peace. That has led me to ask why.
Introduction
Why is something that God promises me so hard for me to find? I think that question has a very simple answer. The answer is that I can never find peace if I am looking in the wrong place(s). Yes, lack of peace in my life is my responsibility. Lack of peace in my life is evidence of poor decision-making and poor choice of priorities in my life. Peace is not a tangible object. It is a state of mind. When I am walking close with God, peace is near. Conversely, when I am walking far from God, peace will always be just out of reach. God promises us that He will give us peace, but we must seek Him, and Him alone, if we are to have the hope of finding true, soul-deep peace.
Peace is not something that finds me. Peace is something that I find when I set my priorities straight and follow God’s teaching and His plan for my life.
Peace is a state of existence that we all crave. We all want to feel safe and at complete inner peace. The problem we all face is that there are two kinds of peace: peace offered by the world, and peace offered by God. These two are mutually exclusive. We must each individually decide if we are going to pursue the peace that is offered by the world or by God. I can tell you from personal experience that the peace offered by God the Father is so much better than any form of peace we may pursue with the world.
Why is this? Because the peace that the world has to offer is based on those things that are temporal. Look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19-21.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
– Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)
The treasures that the world has to offer will decay and may be easily stolen. Cars rust, houses wear out, money can be quickly lost. In contrast, the peace that God has to offer is eternal. Eternal peace never wears out and can never be stolen. The peace God has to offer is permanent. No one can take that peace from me. And notice in verse 21, Jesus tells me plainly that where I find my treasure is where I will find my heart. I do not want my heart to be found in the things of this world. I want my heart to be found in the treasures of heaven.
Life is Difficult
It is often said that life is not fair, and that life often becomes more difficult after we place our faith in Jesus. We also hear people declare that life dealt me a bad hand. How could anyone expect to endure what has been placed in my path? The fact is that a decision to follow Christ does not equate to an easy life. The Bible is filled with examples of how difficult life can become after we decide to follow Jesus. Here are just a few examples:
Job had everything. He was well respected as a businessman and a community leader. He had a large family and great wealth. Yet, through no sin on his part, Satan took everything with worldly value. In the space of one day, Job lost all his possessions, all his family except his wife, lost his health, and found himself living in the city dump.
Paul went from being a religious zealot who spent tremendous energy persecuting Christians and the church, to being a zealot for the gospel and being the object of the persecutions he once pursued against others.
Most, if not all, of Jesus’ apostles faced horrific and gruesome executions. They were stoned, beheaded, and crucified (at least one crucified upside down).
And yet, despite all the suffering, each of these people experienced a peace that eluded most of those around them. Even in the midst of extreme difficulty in this world, these people could experience true peace. They were able to experience peace in this life because of the promise of the rewards to be received in the next life. Not even one of the persecutors received even a moment of peace because of the persecution they inflicted. But each of those who were persecuted, died at complete peace with God and with the ministry which they had pursued despite the persecution they endured.
Life is difficult. One of the deceptions of the world is the message that one more worldly possession will make all of life’s problems disappear. What the world never tells us is that these worldly possessions often make our lives more difficult. The only way to overcome the difficulties of this life, is to maintain complete and total focus on the Spirit of God. The more we decide to follow the Spirit of God, the greater the peace we will experience while living on this earth.
Prayer is Crucial
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 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.
– Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)
We hear a lot in our modern world about being willing to have crucial conversations with others. Whether it is a close friend, an acquaintance, or an employee, we are pressed to have “crucial conversations” with those around us. The question I face each day is if I am willing to have a crucial conversation with God. Am I willing to seek Him in prayer?
Paul tells the Philippians that they should not be anxious about anything. There is no ambiguity in Paul’s statement. We are not to be anxious. You may ask, how can I do this? Paul provides us with the answer in verse 5. We are to make our requests known to God in everything. Again, this is very clear, no ambiguity in Paul’s teaching. We do not have to be thankful for everything, but we do have to be thankful in everything. Paul instructs us to lift everything to God in prayer and supplication. We are to be earnest in our requests of God. We can be brutally honest with Him, but we must always respect Him. Even if our situation is miserable, we are to be thankful. And Paul then tells us in verse 7 that when we pray about everything and with a spirit of thanksgiving, then God’s indescribable peace will envelop us and guard us.
Notice Paul says that God’s peace will guard our hearts and our minds. While temptation can enter through our eyes and our ears, it is not until either our heart or our mind acts on that temptation that it becomes sin. Think about the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. Cain became enraged because God took greater pleasure in his younger brother’s offering. God was trying to correct Cain. Rather than taking God’s teaching for what it was, Cain allowed his thoughts of anger to consume his mind until he killed his brother. This is why Paul instructs the Philippians to pray in every situation. The result is never good when we act based on emotion.
Seek God’s Relief in Difficult Times
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! 2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him. 4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.
– Psalms 4:1-5 (ESV)
Life gets messy. Our poor decisions lead to many of life’s difficulties. Unfortunately, the thinking that gets us into these problems is usually the type of thinking that we believe will get us out of the problem.
Dedication to Spending Quality Time with God
Meditate on His law day and night.
Learn to be Content
Philippians 4:11 (ESV) 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Philippians 4:12 (ESV) 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
Philippians 4:13 (ESV) 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Am I a Seeker of Godly Peace?
x
Peace is a State of Mind
x