Editors Note: This article is written by BCC Counselor, Donna Hart as part of our series on Pursuing Peace. In this series, our counselors are unpacking how to find peace in all areas of your life.
Cultivating peace is not just a choice to “be still in the Lord,” hoping it will suddenly fall upon us. Experiencing peace is learned as Philippians 4:11 teaches us: “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”
In the workplace and in our personal lives we often set for ourselves a vision and goals for the year. God also has set a vision and goals for our lives. His vision is that we would be at peace. Philippians 4:7 states, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As with joy, peace for the Apostle Paul is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is especially associated with God and His relationship with His people. Here it is called “the peace of God” because God is “the God of peace,” the God who dwells in total shalom (wholeness and well-being) and who gives such shalom to His people. It is the “peace of God” that transcends all understanding. God’s peace transcends the merely human, unbelieving mind, which can be full of anxiety because it cannot think higher than itself.
The God to whom we pray and offer thanksgiving, whose ways are higher than our ways, is also trustworthy; our prayer is accompanied by His peace. That is not because He answers according to our desires, but because His peace totally transcends our merely human ways of perceiving the world. Peace comes because prayer is an expression of trust, and as God’s people we do not need to have it all figured out to trust Him.
Pursuing Peace by Meditating on Truth
How do we learn to be content and at peace? It takes work. It requires that we are in control of our thinking as Romans 12:2 explains, “And do not be conformed this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
We are not to allow our thinking to control us, but we are to be in control of what is on our minds. Romans 1:21 shows us what happens when we let our mind think on whatever it wants: “…they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Peace and contentment are a protection against the strong emotions that take us to anxious and hopeless places.
Isaiah 26:3 gives us an open window to see where God wants to take us: “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.” Trusting in God is the foundation of peace. If we do not trust God we will be unstable in all our ways, and as James 1:6 states, double-minded. To trust God we must know God, and to know God we must know His Word and be obedient to it.
Pursuing Peace by Treasuring God’s Word
John 14:21 gives this foundational truth: “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” When we know God’s commandments and keep them, then God knows we are committed to our relationship with Him.
When we demonstrate our commitment to Him by being in the Word and obedient to what we learn, then He speaks to us more and more from the Word, grounding us in confident peace. Our relationship with Christ is like a marriage, and He wants to know we are committed to our relationship with Him before He starts to reveal Himself more deeply.
According to the Apostle Paul, there is a secret to pulling this all together. It is as Philippians 4:13 proclaims: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” We are to do all things with dependent faith upon the Lord. We are not to walk in independent, self-determined, self-sufficiency, but in resting in and trusting in the Lord.
Pursuing Peace through Steadfast Prayer
How do we get to peace? We must pray. We must pray that God gives us a hunger and thirst for His Word that would never end, that the Holy Spirit will reveal His truth to us, and that we will see the glory of God. We must know the flesh is going to fight us being in the Word (Romans 7:14-25), but we must keep pushing into the Word until it turns from desire to delight.
This is a battle we win because God promises that He is with us, He will not fail us, nor will He forsake us. He calls us to be strong and courageous for He will enable us to be overcomes.
May our hearts sing with the Word, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Conclusion
If we are not connected to the source of peace, we will fail to experience peace. At times, we allow the busyness of life and the disappointment of our circumstances to distract us from spending time with God. Life doesn’t go well, and as a result, we experience a sense that we are missing something.
God instills that sense in us, to remind us to pursue Him. We have a choice at that moment. Will we eliminate the distractions and put boundaries on our busy schedules to connect with God, the source of our peace? God offers abundant peace as we pursue and invest in our relationship with Him. Will you commit to the pursuit of peace?
5 Comments on “Pursuing Peace in My Disciplines”
This lines up with everything I’ve experienced through trails and tribulations in life and realizing that it was only then when I sought God that God’s peace over road every fear, every despair, every, hurt, and every shame and was replaced with All Things Possible to those who seek His Name. Then I knew only God could give me unspeakable peace that no man could ever give me. To God Be The Glory! Amen
Thank God for this immeasurable peace that comforts me, and reminds me that I can be content in all situations. Absolutltely as is stated Psalm 1:1, I do find my delight in God’s Word.
Thank you for this pin point of Gods holy peace and uncomphanciable joy!
I wonder at times if it is a hardness.
Now I know, my true joy and peace are found in Christ alone.
Thank you
Donna, here you are sharing , teaching , leading from His Word straight to our hearts.
The path beginning in Romans 12:2,to the futility of 0ur thinking as Rm 1:21, throwing up the Isaiah 26:3 window shade onto James1:26 warnings us not to be double minded, to His assurance in John 14:21,whoever knows and keeps Gods commandments ,for He sees our committment to our relationship with Him, pulling this together with Phil.4:13, knowing the flesh is going to fight us being in the Word-warned in Rm7:14-25,but we keep pushing and our desire will turn to DELIGHT! This is silly but I think of Hansel & Gretal-leaving those bread crumbs SO THAt , they could find their way Home.
You too, have left The Living Bread far from crumbs , here and in our online class leading us as we study to lead others to our Eternal Address 0n the other side , tho not discounting the journey this side of the Cross! For all our Hope is Found in Him King Jesus.!Thank you. Sister Summers Albany Ga
Oops I am having trouble sending♀️
Thank you Donna for this. It makes me reflect in the tough times and in the midst of the trials that my one true help and hope in better tomorrow’s can only be found in the peace and promises of the word of God. These days are tougher than ever but Gods word I feel is not only powerful, but it’s power is strong enough to handle anything we face. The bigger the trial, the bigger my God and there is nothing that we can’t get through without Him. Racism at work, a backslider son, a marriage that’s ended, a job lost, leaving a church after 20 years and finding another, illnesses, being a single parent, so many things we go through in life and yet one thing never changes. Gods word, His love for us and His peace which transcends all understanding which guards our hearts and minds!! Thanks you for reminding us that we need the word daily!
Bless you!!!
Amy A.