Peace

One of the most comforting passages in scripture is John 14:27 -- "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  We may never have a "world" peace until Jesus comes, but one thing we can have is peace in our hearts regardless of what's happening in the world.  God's desire is for His peace to live and rule in your heart.  And until you have peace with God you will never experience the peace of God. Jesus, who is the "Prince of Peace," is the only true source of peace in a tumultuous world.  I want to share with you six facts about peace during this season of Christmas.

1.  Peace Is A Gift From God

Peace has nothing to do with church, denomination, or religion.  It is completely dependent upon a

person having a relationship with Christ, the "Prince of Peace."  Jesus made every provision for us to have peace and it is our decision as to whether or not we want to walk in it.  Peace with God means you and the Lord are in harmony with each other and it is the foundation of all peace in your life.  This peace with God comes only through a full surrender of your life to Him.

2.  Why We Don't Have The Peace Of God

Giving attention to a matter is very different than being "consumed" with anxiety.  Anxiety is a tormenting kind of worry that focuses on the circumstances and not on God.  Anxiety is an apprehension about future things and a fear of losing control.  All of us have to give attention to certain things in our life, but you know you have moved from just normal attention to a matter to an ever consuming anxiety when you find yourself hurried to make an unwise decision.  Others signs are when you are constantly agitated and perturbed about something or especially when you are, more concerned about the problem than you are the problem solver.

3.  How To Protect Your Peace

The best way to protect your peace is to protect your relationship with God.  Your relationship with God should be the most precious relationship you have.  You protect your relationship with God by keeping your priorities right.  God must always be first.  You also need to have a strong prayer life. Praying about your circumstances will cause you to be God centered and not circumstance centered.

4.  Where We Find True Peace

Most people look for peace through acquiring more and more possessions.  They look for it in positions or earthly physical relationships.  Unfortunately those things often lead to unhappiness and frustration.  Man's conflict is due to a broken relationship with the Heavenly Father.  When we have harmony with God it leads to a calmness and peace like no other. When you trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior, He unites you with the Father and it marks the beginning of your ability to experience true and lasting peace.

5.  Why We Fall Short Of Peace

One of the main reasons we fall short of God's peace for our lives, is that we try to control our circumstances or try to run away from our problems.  We can't trust in the peace that the world gives because it is based on our limited human mind and resources.  There isn't enough money, talent, or influence for us to make all of our situations come out fine.  We fall short because we aren't fully relying on the heavenly Father who has more resources, power, and insight than we do.

6.  Peace Is The Answer

The answer to our lack of peace is to give all our concerns over to the only One who can handle them.  That One person is the God of all the universe.  He is the reason we can be still and confident, when everything around us is falling apart.  "My peace I give you..." is the promise of God!

When was the last time you experienced absolute peace in your heart?  When you have Christ you have all the potential for peace you will ever need.  Are you willing to make whatever changes are necessary in order to gain and maintain an inner peace?

-- Pastor Temple