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, NIV).If people would take this verse as it is and not allow themselves to worry or fear, and realize that God will take care of them if they place Him first, they could live a life of peace, in the hope of making life better for everybody.
Living a life of peace is simple. If people acted unselfishly, all strife would cease, and all arguments would disappear. How? Those involved in conflict would realize that their relationships are more important than being right, and they would make the conscious decision to walk in love. How much further would people be in their relationship with God and their relationships with one another if they didn’t allow such frivolous details in their lives block their love for them, hinder their walk with Him? Hebrews 12:1 tells us to,
“throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”We are unable to live out God’s ―will, “which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2, NLT),” as long as we focus on the things that aren’t important. As a bonus, stress and worrying would alleviate themselves through increased productivity –the result of prioritizing—and the simple act one deciding not to thinks about the problems in his or her life and finding rest in his or her Savior’s arms.
I believe that thinking about the positive rather than the negative has the ability to make a big difference in a person’s life. In one of my personal experiences, I was worried about a test I had taken, and sure that I had gotten a bad grade. When I got it back, I realized that my grade was an A. I came to the understanding that all along I had been focusing on the things that I didn’t know rather than the things that I did know while taking the test, and I had allowed that to get me concerned. This stole my peace, as well as my hope for a good grade. Focusing on the negative left me feeling very stressed out, and as a result I could have been less than nice with my family and friends, damaging my relationships. If I had focused more on the positive, on the things on the test that I did know, the outcome could have been much different. I could have felt confident in my abilities and, in the hope of excelling, moved on to my other assignments more efficiently, rather than hindering myself by wasting my time worrying, because in Jesus’ own words,
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life (Matthew 6:27)?”I, by worrying, could not add a single ounce of productivity to my schedule or work—in fact, I took it away. Not worrying would have produced more peace in my life and added to its quality. I could have enjoyed spending time with my family and friends more, and taken time to rest and relax. I know that this situation is minimal, but if one takes a moment to consider how often this must happen in the life of the average person, he or she would realize that letting go of worry and letting go of the negative in favor of the positive has a very big impact on the average person’s quality of living.
In a world of conflict, there is only one way to gain peace and hope. We, as people, must clear our thinking, decide what is worth our time, and put God at the top of our lists. Then, and only then, will we find hope and peace in such a chaotic world.
Be blessed. Live in Him. Let His Peace reign in your hearts and realize how far you will go while resting in Jesus’ care.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7, NLTLove,
Kate
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