We Must Choose Peace

 

By Andrea Merrell

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7 NKJV

 

As someone who lived a large portion of my life in fear, I have come to realize the importance of peace—God’s peace. The peace that surpasses human comprehension.

Peace is a gift for the believer. God gives us a covenant of peace (Numbers 25:12). But this gift, this covenant, has enemies: Fear. Doubt, Worry. Anxiety. Stress. Chaos. When these enemies take over, it’s hard to think. Hard to breathe. Hard to pray.

One writer suggests that when problems arise, we need to take a deep breath, focus our mind and heart on the Lord, and allow His peace to flow through us. This gift is always available, but we must choose it.

Jesus said:

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] (John 14:27 AMPC).

That tells us we have options.

In spite of everything the apostle Paul suffered, he said:

And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. (Colossians 3:15 AMPC).

Don’t allow fear and anxiety to keep your mind and heart in turmoil. 

Today … choose peace.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and tuelekza.)

Don’t Despair

 

By Andrea Merrell

 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.

2 Corinthians 4:8 NIV

 

There I was again … in despair. Needy. Overwhelmed by problems that threatened to take me down. Tears flowed freely as my pity-party got into full swing.

Then I opened Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, and these words smacked me in the face: "You need Me every moment. Your awareness of your constant need for Me is your greatest strength. Your neediness, properly handled, is a link to My presence." ~Jesus

The choice was simple—depend on Him or remain in despair. I could either continue to fill my mind and heart with my problems or His presence.

I won’t say it was the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but I chose His presence. I chose to cast my cares on Him and trust Him to work things out as He saw fit.

When the cares of this life close in on us, it’s easy to fall into worry. Anxiety. Fear. Even depression. We can focus so much on our problems that we tend to lose all hope. The loud, accusing voice of the Enemy will try and convince us that God has abandoned us. That He won’t come through for us this time.

But the Enemy is a liar, and God’s Word is the only truth we have to stand on. God sees us. He knows us. He is for us. He will do battle for us. And He will win every time, so there’s no need to despair.

Photo courtesy of Kayla Koss on Unsplash.

Rabbit Trails

By Andrea Merrell

We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought

and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. 

2 Corinthians 10:5 TPT

 

The speaker was not holding my attention. My eyelids were heavy. No matter how hard I tried, my mind would not stay focused. The man kept taking rabbit trails and never seemed to find his way back to the main point. I left there wondering if he even had a main point.

We all have a tendency at times to veer off the subject at hand, but the Lord showed me one day how anxious thoughts are like rabbit trails. Those thoughts branch off in all directions, taking us off course and away from our foundation of trust in Him. The more anxious we become, the further away we find ourselves.

We’re told not to be anxious about anything, to cast all our care on Him, and to fret not. Anxiety causes worry, and worry leads to fear. The Bible says fear contains torment. It clouds our thinking and keeps us wandering around on those trails, lost in the woods of doubt and unbelief.

How do we find our way back to that place of peace and rest? By calling on the Lord. A simple “forgive me” or “help me” will get us back on the right path and restore our trust in the One who has promised to be with us always.

Don’t allow anxious thoughts to keep your heart and mind in a tangled knot. When they come against you, say what my former pastor used to say: “That’s NOT my thought.” Bring those thoughts captive and insist that they bow in obedience to the Anointed One. 

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Sira Anamwong.)

TWEETABLE

Anxious thoughts are like rabbit trails. They branch off in all directions, taking us off course and away from our foundation of trust in the Lord. The more anxious we become, the further away we find ourselves. via@AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

To read in browser or leave a comment, click here.