Friday, August 11, 2017

The Peace Of God

Philippians 4: 6-7

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 our understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God's peace will guard our hearts and our minds. Our emotions and our thinking processes will not be upset with what is going on around us. Nothing this World can throw at us will disturb our hearts or befuddle our minds. How can we be this steady in the storms of life?

When we are resting in God, trusting Him to be Who He says He is and to do what He said He will do. When we know Him that well, that we have confidence in Him to act on our behalf, even working miracles for our benefit. To know that He can and He is able, whether He chooses to do so or not.

When we focus our attention on what is good, and true, and honorable. What is right and pure and lovely and beautiful. What is admirable and excellent and worthy of being praised. These will crowd out the negative and critical and worrisome thoughts that previously occupied our thoughts. 

What we are looking at, focusing on, appears bigger in our sight and fills our vision, letting all the other things fade into the background. That's why our Father wants us to dwell on all the good, positive things in life, to lift our hearts and minds into the Heavenly realms even while we are still living on this Earth.

This peace God gives us runs deeper than we can even understand in our human thoughts, because God is so great, and so good. We are His creation, He is the One Who imagines us; and the imagination He gave us can also be realized in our reality, because He made us in His own Image.

God is Love. Everything He does comes from this basic foundation of being. That's why He wants us to love one another. When I love you, I want to see the good in you, I want to do what pleases you, and I want you to love me back. And because God has loved me with a Love beyond my understanding, I want to love Him back, and do what pleases Him. 

So when I live my life focusing on what God is doing, instead of what other people are doing around me, then I will experience His peace. Then World events won't upset me. Then I won't get into arguments with family members and friends, and I will be a more pleasant person to be around.

Then I will be a Kingdom person, rather than a Worldly person. Then I will be so Heavenly-minded that I will be of great Earthly good!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!