CHOOSE PEACE

I smiled as I watched Rob rocking the content 4-month old baby in his arms after service this past Sunday. I told the parents Rob was the baby whisperer! For real! When our boys were babies, some days they were extremely fussy. I was exhausted and increasingly anxious as nothing I did would settle down my newborn and cranky, teething 15-month old. Then Rob would come home, and within minutes they’d both be resting contently in his arms. I knew it was because Rob was so peaceful and they were feeling it. When we have peace, we not only benefit from it but so do those around us.

A few years back we had guests stay at our home for a week, and when it was time to leave, the wife said, “It’s so peaceful in your home. I felt more peace this week than I have in a long time.” I was so thankful because I remembered a time this wasn’t always the case in my life. I wrote about my growing experience with peace in another blog you can read HERE.  As we’ve grown in the Lord, both Rob and I have learned to cultivate an atmosphere of peace in our home and lives, and we give the glory to God for that, because He’s the true source of our peace.

Have you ever wished for more peace? While peace is available to everyone, it’s something we must CHOOSE. Are you wondering what I mean? Well, think about it….sometimes people CHOOSE to give up their peace. Things like poor decisions, negative thinking or undealt with soul issues that cause inner turmoil, can steal our peace on a regular basis. A person may not even realize they’re choosing to give up their peace, and yet, they are by the choices they’re making.  Peace doesn’t just happen. It’s cultivated.  As we make healthy choices for our lives and deal with things in our own heart and mind that may steal our peace, we’ll not only experience greater peace, we’ll actually create an atmosphere of peace around us that touches the lives of others.

A couple of years ago, my husband and I went to a conference and several people we knew were there also. During one of our afternoon breaks, one lady decided to come out with us to do some sightseeing. I thought it interesting that she kept making comments like “You guys are so calm and relaxed.” At one point, we stopped for a cup of coffee and she said, “I can’t take all this calmness, it’s making me nervous.” She wasn’t joking. It was very clear she was feeling uncomfortable with the atmosphere of peace around us. I knew that she was used to a lot of chaos in her life. She grew up with it, and never really dealt with the issues it brought, causing her to be in a state of continual unrest.

I can definitely relate to that feeling of continual unrest. Before I allowed the Lord to heal my soul, I avoided being still. I was always on the go because if I stopped long enough, I’d have to deal with the pain within. Thankfully, I made the decision to allow the Lord to heal me. We all carry baggage from things we’ve gone through, but we don’t have to live with the inner turmoil it can create. God is able to heal us from the inside out. I share about soul healing HERE and how God totally transformed my own life from the inside out. He’ll do the same for anyone that wants it. When I experienced true peace for the first time, I cried tears of joy and knew I never wanted to live without it again. That’s why CHOOSING peace is so important to me.

We CHOOSE peace by making healthy choices. This seems obvious and yet, people make harmful and destructive choices that steal their peace on a regular basis. Bad financial decisions are a big one for many people. In a world where instant gratification is the norm, many people are drowning under the pressure of debt. Did you know it’s the number one cause of divorce? I was talking to a woman the other day who’s in the process of buying a house. She explained how she and her husband were committed to staying within a certain budget and not willing to overextend themselves as many people do when they buy a home. She said it wasn’t worth financial stress and this is great WISDOM! She is CHOOSING peace! This goes hand in hand with discontentment and comparing ourselves with others, which is a big peace stealer and can lead us to make bad decisions.  Peace is priceless and not worth giving up for any material possession or “keeping up with the Joneses.”

Dealing with our heart and mind is also key to CHOOSING peace. If we meditate on negativity and garbage all day long well… we’ll feel like negativity and garbage! We can choose what we think on. That’s why Philippians 4:8 says;

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Dealing with any offense in our hearts is important too. When we’re at odds with people in our life, peace will be absent. Unforgiveness is actually an open door to the tormentor (Matthew 18). We must grow in walking in love and forgiveness. Another area is dwelling on our mistakes or our problems. Difficulties in life are inevitable, but sometimes we can be tempted to think and talk about them all day long. How can we expect to have peace if that’s all we do? Prayer has helped me to cast my own cares upon the Lord. I take my very real issue to God in prayer and then leave it there with Him, to either solve or give me the divine wisdom to change it when the time is right. The Bible promises us peace when we CHOOSE to do this.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

This is why spending time in God’s word is KEY to a heart and mind at peace. One of my life verses is Isaiah 26:3 which says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Remember, the Lord is the source of peace and so we must CHOOSE to stay connected to Him.

And finally, setting healthy boundaries is another way we CHOOSE peace in our lives. Boundaries protect the peace that God gives us. Who we spend time with can either add to or take away from our peace. Some people are “drama addicts” and will bring that drama right into our life too if we allow them. While we’re always encouraged to minister to people who struggle, we must CHOOSE our “inner circle” wisely. These are the people we give access to our lives. I believe our home and family time should be a haven of peace…A place we find rest and refreshment. When we make our home a place of prayer and worship this naturally happens because we invite God’s presence into our home. Be careful of the conversation you have in your home. Rob and I have made the practice of setting a specific time aside to discuss work or issues so it doesn’t bleed into everything else, and that helps to protect the atmosphere of peace in our home. Speak life and encouragement to one another. We all receive enough negativity out in the world. Let’s CHOOSE to make our home a place where we build each other up. I know that this may be something we need to work towards, especially if everyone in the home is not on the same page, but it IS possible. Work on being at peace in your own heart and allow the Lord to use you to impart it to others. We used to live in a townhome where the people next door always seemed angry and were constantly screaming and cursing at each other. It was affecting our home and I was praying HARD for them to move. Then one day, the Lord said I should be praying FOR them, not for them to leave. If their lack of peace could affect me, then how much more could the powerful force of the Prince of Peace within me, affect them?? So, I started to pray FOR them daily. I would put my hand on the wall and release the peace of God into their home. Soon things quieted down next door, and when I saw them I noticed their whole countenances were different. Praise God! Remember peace isn’t just for us, but for us to release to others. Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Wow, that’s a powerful statement, isn’t it? Let’s commit together to CHOOSE peace each day!

Hey, I love hearing from and chatting with you! Feel free to comment below. 🙂