Read with me, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Fight the good fight of faith… 1 Timothy 6:12
A couple of years ago I found myself in the unyielding waves of despondency. I was very lonely, extremely depressed, and visionless for my future. I was going through a cycle of tough mental acrobatics to make it through any given day. I spent many weeks just seeking His face, longing for deliverance, crying at His feet as I poured out my heart and daily explained to God that it was all just too much to bear. I so clearly remember God telling me, “ Girl, you gotta fight..” I don’t want to necessarily acknowledge it, but a big part of my heart believed God would come swooping in and save me, consequently I would be required to do nothing while looking absolutely amazing. A decent part of my faith didn’t make provision for the ideology that God would answer me in such a way that demanded more intentional action. I believed He would do it all for me, instantly. He certainly could, He was most assuredly able. But He is a good father that knows how to reach into the depths of our hearts and heal what is broken. In my heart, how I viewed Him as a father was deficient. He does not withhold peace in order to bring across a point, He doesn’t speak through turmoil and chaos to illicit faith, His language is peace. He does not use the language of this world. He doesn’t provide a stone or a burden when we ask for bread and sustenance.
That morning God showed me a picture of how we proactively guard our possessions from theft. Setting alarms, building walls, locking doors, we are taking action to protect things that have value to us. God clearly spoke to my heart that I have to aggressively fight against the onslaught on my mind. To the same extent you would go to drastic measures to defend your household, you should defend your peace. Fight for it, claim it as yours, and know that His portion for you is peace. If we can only believe that He is for us and our inheritance in Him is good, it becomes easier to identify the enemy’s tactics as a ploy to steal our peace. If peace is hallmarked by a deep and restful knowing, then unrest is affected by turmoil and fear of the unknown. Peace comes from knowing. One main thing that steals our peace and causes turmoil is misunderstanding His heart and failing to remember He is good and His intentions are good. When we do not know if He is really for us, whether He is truly good, or if He is honestly willing to come through for us it is easy to take matters into our own hands by trying to stress and fear the situation into submission. Let me remind you today, the thoughts He has towards us are good, and full of hope. It is damaging to our trust, and ultimately our hope, to think thoughts that allow for a vengeful and angry Father, we can’t paint Him as uncaring in one thought, yet holy in the next. It is in the very fact that He is holy that we can rest assured He is for us, because He does not lie. He loves us. Our peace is this, He is good, and He is true. Do not allow your circumstances to inform your faith; do not allow your fear to steal the deep knowing you have that you have a Father that loves to take care of you.
When you are experiencing turmoil and fear, it is not necessarily God informing your heart to abstain from something. It is usually do to a lack of knowing Him in your circumstances. Fight to know His heart for you. Have the mind of Christ by embracing the peace that He so freely gives you. Have peace and live. 1 Corinthians 2:2 urges us to know nothing amongst others except Christ crucified. If I look at people causing havoc in my life, I need to know and see Him, if I look at circumstances, I cannot look to people but to Him. How do I pursue faith that produces peace? I aggressively fight the enemy of peace. I aggressively fight the lies. You ‘PUT’ your hope in God. We cannot look at what’s going on around us and blame Him for our lack of peace, because we are responsible for what we look at and believe and think, specifically about Him. What we believe about Him directly affects our faith and hope. He comes first. What we believe about God influences everything; it informs our words, hearts and deeds. We need to approach circumstances with the knowledge that the price is paid. The crucifixion provides us the gift of salvation and ultimate peace. What do you know? Do you know there is no hope, or do you know the God of hope? Do you know fear, or faith? Do you know your thoughts, or Him?
Today, say this, “ I know this, He is God, He is good, and I know He is peace.” And when I start to discern difficulty around me, I enthusiastically grab hold of truth, and fight to believe until I do not know the fear. I then refuse to be acquainted with doubt. I deny all familiarity with turmoil. Then Fear does not know my name. He now holds my heart wholly and solely. His words are true, it is His sweet whispering that stirs my heart to action; it is the still quiet love that comes in the morning that invokes my heart to wait patiently for instruction.
Peace is an abiding state of being. Stay in peace. During difficult circumstances of life, the Holy Spirit is present to help. Peace—deep, genuine, God-given peace—can be the “norm” in which you live day to day. Do not give, do not relent; let not your heart be troubled. We cannot be afraid in the face of His faithfulness. Call to mind His faithfulness and inform your mind that you have been given peace by a good father.
