Peace

Time to be vulnerable. For a short time I was dealing with anxiousness and thoughts of worry for my son. Yes, parents are to have a healthy concern for their children, but my thoughts and worry were unhealthy. As I stated before in a previous blog post, when a person becomes a parent, there is a heightened sense/feeling of concern for your child. I began having thoughts that caused me to fear and being a believer of Christ, fear has no place in us! I was praying over my mind and rebuking negative thoughts on a constant basis. One day while a work a friend of mine sent me a song called “Peace”. We often share songs with each other so it was no different that day for her to send me a song she thought I’d like. She had previously told me that it was a great song but had not shared it until a few days later. Picture it, I’m at my desk at work and start playing the song and I became so full. Filled with tons of emotions of relief and comfort. It was as if that song was what I needed in my time of struggle. Jesus knew just what I needed and that song spoke volumes to me! It felt like a burden that I was carrying lifted from me. The lyrics are:

“You will stay true, even when the lies come

Your word remains truth, even when my thoughts don’t line up

I will stand tall, on each promise you made

Let the rest fade away

There’s a peace far beyond all understanding

May it ever set my heart at ease,

Dare anxiety come I’ll remember that

Peace is a promise you keep

Peace is a promise you keep

You will stay true

Even in the chaos

Your word remains truth

Even when my mind wreaks havoc

I will be still

For I’ve known all along

My Jehovah shalom

There’s a peace far beyond all understanding

May it ever set heart at ease

What anxiety fails to remember

Peace is a promise you keep

Peace is a promise you keep

You are peace to the restless soul

Peace when my thoughts wage war

Peace to the anxious heart

That’s who you are, that’s who you are

You are peace when my fear takes hold

Peace when I feel enclosed

Peace when I lose control

That’s who you are, that’s who you are

I found peace far beyond all understanding

Let it flow when my minds under siege

All anxiety bows in the presence

Of Jesus the keeper of peace

And peace is a promise He keeps.”

Yall.

I could not contain myself at my desk and the tears began to fall. I had to leave my office and scurry to the bathroom because I needed to let go of all the emotions I had inside. I couldn’t do anything but cry. The song blessed me so much.

Peace is defined as the freedom from disturbance or tranquility. Another definition is calm and tranquility of soul despite being in the midst of difficult circumstance or despite external turmoil. The opposite of peace is anxiety and/or worry.

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

Colossians 3:15 states “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

If peace is not your normal way of operating, you are out of sync spiritually. There will be moments of worry because we are flesh but if worry is normative for you then you are not allowing God to be your peace or aligning yourself to scripture. Peace should normally operate in your life.

When worry comes, look at what the scripture says!

Isaiah 26:3 states that “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

My mind may say all of these things, but you need to ask what does God’s word say? It says to pray about everything and if you keep your mind consistently on God, He will keep you in perfect peace.

If any of you feel that peace is not normally operating in your life, say this prayer:

Holy and righteous God, we give you praise, we honor you wherever we are. There is no one like you, you are the great God and to thee all flesh must come. You are the great answer of prayer. The heavens declare Your handiwork and the whole earth is full of Your glory.

Lord, we confess that we have allowed worry and anxiousness to overcome us. We’ve disregarded the gift of peace You freely give.

But we are thankful that You are our Jehovah Shalom, our God of peace. We are grateful that You are a keeper of peace and if we follow Your word to operate in our lives then we will have the peace that passes all understanding.

So as we say this prayer today, Lord we just ask that You help us to stand firm on Your word by praying on all things and constantly keeping our minds stayed on You. We request that You will keep our hearts and minds secure where fear, anxiety or worry will not dwell. So we accept Your invitation to peace by trusting that we will have the peace that passes all understanding, that we will have perfect inner rest and can confidently call You our Jehovah Shalom. In all of these things we ask, in Your holy and righteous name Jesus, we pray Amen.

So stand firm on God’s word and have peace!

Peace: Words and music by Michael Fatkin, Benjamin Hastings & Melodie Wagner