The True Peace of God

Each of us are striving toward the "successful" life, though our
definitions of success may differ. Many of us place our effort in
obtaining more and better things, reaching a higher status, or building

greater security; others, involve themselves in more "spiritual"
endeavors with ministry activities and service projects. But the root
motivation for all our effort is the same: we all are seeking a life
full of peace.

Unfortunately, the world trains us to simply set and then exceed our
goals without ever taking the time to examine what our heart really
longs for - we all are striving for peace! I'm certainly not opposed
to goals; but we must understand that meeting every single goal, by
itself, will NEVER result in peace.

The lack of peace is, first and foremost, the result of our sinful
condition. When Adam and Eve chose to place their will ahead of God's
by eating the forbidden fruit, sin entered the world and true peace
became illusive; "when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis
2:17). We will never obtain true peace through different governments;
nor will we ever be able to purchase our peace or create peace by
changing our surroundings. Peace begins with the forgiveness of sin
through faith in Jesus and grows as we live in submission to the Holy
Spirit; "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by
the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).

In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he said those who have placed
their faith in Jesus now have a basic formula for a life of peace.

Philippians 4:4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about

anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus."

Our formula for peace is: 1) Rejoice, 2) Rejoice some more, 3) Be
gentle, 4) Know God is near, 5) Remove all anxiety, and 6) Pray about
everything with a thankful heart. Jesus promised that those who trust
in Him will receive a peace beyond anything this world can understand:
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid" (John 14:27).

If our lives are lacking peace, the ONLY solution is to draw nearer to
God, trust Him more, and rejoice (and rejoice and rejoice) as we are
guided by His Spirit. Only then will we find the "success" we have
been striving for - only then will we obtain what our heart longs
for...the true peace of God!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries


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"The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."
Psalm 34:10

www.brennakate.com
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