Remember the 1980's song advising its listeners
not to worry, but to be happy? Easier said than done. How do you be happy when
unpaid bills are piling up? How can you be unconcerned when a traumatic
situation has struck your family and you feel unprepared to deal with it? How
can you be happy when you dread going to work each day?
Without Jesus Christ in your life, you can't.
Society is not without its own remedies for
peace. Hey, all you have to do is join a health club. Exercise your cares
away. Or take that vacation you've always wanted (and surely deserve). Don't
worry about the money; just charge it. Some would even lead you to believe
that Lite Beer will do it for you. I mean, after all, it doesn't get any
better than this.
But these and others are just vain attempts at
peace. The "peace" they bring is hollow, temporary, and a
counterfeit of the real thing.
Jesus said He gives us HIS peace, and His peace
is not the kind the world gives. "Let not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid," He said in John 14:27.
"Well," you may say, "I'm a
Christian. Jesus is in my heart, but I don't experience this kind of
peace."
Jesus has made His peace available, but it is
not automatic. See Philippians 4:6-9. Here Paul says we should not fret
or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything we
should by prayer make our requests known to God, with thanksgiving. The result
of doing so is that "the peace of God, which passes all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
And that's not all. He goes on to say that we
should think on GOOD things--things that are honest, just, pure, lovely, and
of GOOD REPORT. When you do this, the God of peace--of untroubled, undisturbed
well-being--will be with you. Isaiah 26:3 says He will keep us in
perfect peace if we keep our minds on Him, and trust in Him.
Don't expect the peace of God to be real in
your life if you allow yourself to dwell on the negative. Take charge of your
thoughts! In whatever situation you find yourself, remember to make your
requests known to God. Thank Him for the answer, and think on good things.
THEN the peace that is beyond understanding--the peace of God--will be yours.
© 2003 by Suzanne Leitz |
