Perfect peace ... aah ... what a great thought. Can the word of God actually mean we can have peace. Yes, as hard as that sounds, we can enjoy peace. Peace is the absence of turmoil.
There are many definitions of peace at Dictionary.com, but I want to focus on two of them. The first is - "cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension" and the second is - "freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquility; serenity".
Our peace or lack thereof stems from what is going on in our minds. The mind is a powerful thing and left to it's own devices, it can create havoc in our lives. I make it sound like the mind has a "mind of it's own". The brain was designed by God to think. Thought processes, unless checked, can really become muddled. It especially depends on what we feed our minds. If our minds are constantly being fed the wrong material, our thoughts will become entangled in all the wrong emotions.
Annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsessions, all rob us from tranquility and serenity. A mind full of negative thoughts leads to a negative life. A mind full of positive, creative thoughts leads to a life of productivity and blessing. It's not what we have or don't have that is important, but what is taking place on the inside.
I know a lot of people who own an lot of "things" and have a lot of money, but are not happy. Why? Because they have internal turmoil which stems from a lifetime of negatives. There are areas in their lives they have covered up and have not dealt with, that keep resurfacing and causing them problems.
Isaiah 26 : 3 says God will "... keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed" on Him. The word "stayed" means "to sustain or strengthen mentally or spiritually" or "to rest on (something, as a foundation or base) for support." It's something that I have to actively do. I have to keep my mind "resting on the foundation" of the Lord for support. So when the first negative thought enters my mind, I have to put it out of my mind and immediately put my thoughts on what God's word says. I lay it aside and refuse to think about it.
Have you ever been hurt by someone and over time you have forgiven them and forgotten about the incident. Then suddenly one day someone says something or you see something and immediately that emotional thought rises up in you. The reason that happens is because you have a memory and the emotion attached to that memory is stored in the brain. But just because your memory triggers that emotion, does not mean you have to yield to it. Immediately you feel that old thing arise, you have to put it aside. Say to yourself .. "I am not going to think about this anymore" and purposefully begin to think about something positive.
Now, obviously, if it is something God wants you to deal with, then don't suppress it. It may be that you have never forgiven that person and still harbor resentment and anger. You need to forgive that person and immediately ask God to forgive you for the anger and resentment you are feeling. You cannot change people, but you can change you with God's help.
People often say, "Lord please give me peace" but wonder why God does not give it to them. To illustrate it simply, if I am hot, I get out of the sun into the shade. If I am cold, I put on warm clothing and turn on the furnace or light a fire. It does not help me to complain to God about the cold. So it is that I must put on peace. I make a conscious effort to redirect my thoughts towards the Lord.
The Lord told us what to do ... "keep our minds stayed on Him" As we saw earlier, one of the definitions of peace was the "cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension" Strife and dissension will rob your peace. Before you get into strife and arguments, it is good to make a quick mental note of the outcome. You don't want to lose your peace so why engage in the thing that robs your peace.
"Lord, thank You for the "Peace of God which passes understanding" Thank You for your Love and Mercy that fills me to overflowing. Thank You that I have a sound mind and I am full of the purpose and plan of God. That your Anointing dwells on the inside and that Your Anointing will teach me of all things. "
Here is another blog article on peace ... "Peace that passes understanding"
Gil Howard-Browne
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