I’ve heard it said over the years by various aunts and uncles of mine that when they were kids, no one locked their doors, tamper-proof meant toddler-proofing your house, all kids walked home from school (which I’m told was always several miles), and basically, people just felt far more safe and secure than we do today - even when they had opportunity to do some fun family travel.
It’s an amazing thing to me that this generation has more technology than any other, yet all of our fancy gadgets haven’t made much difference in our overall sense of peace and safety. Even with all the precautions that airports take, travelers are still subjected to a host of regulations that make travel more of a hassle and less enjoyable with each passing month. And as we see the perils of our times increase, it’s enough to make a person wonder what on earth is happening? If technological advances and safety regulations won’t protect us, then what – or who will?
Peace in Relationship
Acquiring peace begins with a right relationship with Jesus. We can choose to ask Jesus to be our personal Lord and Savior simply by asking Him in our own heart felt prayer.We can even choose to abide by the 10 commandments. But right relationship goes deeper than keeping a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s a heart issue. God desires a friendship with us. And as with any loving relationship, if we love Him, we’ll avoid destroying that relationship by applying His Word to our lives (Gospel of John 15:14-15). Once we have asked Him to be our personal Lord and Savior, that relationship is sealed (Revelation 7:3). But just like we choose not to do the things that we know annoy our loved ones, if we love Christ, we will make an effort to find out what things annoy Him by reading His Word, and then choose not to do those things.
Cultivating a relationship with Him is comparable to cultivating a relationship with a physical person. Basically, it consists of spending time with Him and listening to Him. And the way that is accomplished is through prayer and reading His Word. As our love for Him grows deeper daily, we’ll develop a desire to do the things in His Word that we discover bring Him joy.
Peace in Focusing on Him
Job was a man who had it all. The Old Testament Book that bears Job's name illustrates that he had wealth, success, a family – he also lost it all. But even in the middle of his storm of tribulation, Job didn’t focus on the fact that he had lost everything. His attitude was, "…the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Now this does not mean that Job wasn’t upset. Nor does it mean that he didn’t mourn. And I admit, having an attitude like that is much easier said than done. Still, when tragedy strikes and we call on the Lord Jesus, He will be faithful to strengthen us and bring us through the tough times.
If we focus on that which is stealing our peace, we’ll become fearful. However, if we direct our focus on His promises to us from His Word, then we’ll be able to experience peace in spite of our struggles. The way we handle each difficult situation that we encounter will do one of two things for us. We’ll either learn to trust God on a deeper level, or we’ll be overcome by or own fears and frustrations. Focusing on Jesus and his promise of victory to us is something that will always bring us great encouragement (see Revelation 12:10-11). And if we can remember to thank Him for the victory while we are still in the struggle, it will seem less intense.
God can take any situation that we are in and make it work out for our benefit and his glory (Romans 8:28). Catching that revelation will keep us from getting stuck in fear. While we might occasionally experience fear due to our circumstances, we will not be overcome by it when we choose to direct our feelings of fear to Jesus in prayer. Nothing is more powerful than the God whom we worship – the same God who claims us as His own children.
Meticulously Planned Peace
Every parent knows that little children believe what their parents tell them. We parents plan a future for our children. Some of our plans include things they really don’t appreciate. Things such as school, eating their vegetables and having a set bedtime on school nights are not appreciated by the average child. However, these things which they see as a frustration, an inconvenience and a hindrance to accomplishing their wills are just some of the things we parents do which will eventually prosper our children, give them hope and a future.
Often times we express our aggravation over the struggles that God allows in our lives. We typically don’t appreciate them and sometimes get irritated with Him. If we can remember to ask God in prayer to show us the wisdom that He wants to give us from each struggle, then the struggles that we walk through will not only give us opportunity to develop more of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-26), but we’ll be able to more effectively encourage someone else in the future. One of the greatest blessings and joys God can give us is the opportunity to help a brother or sister in Christ walk through a struggle we’ve already come through victoriously. Our great God has not left us powerless and hopeless in the middle of our difficult circumstances. He is a loving, living Savior who is ready, willing, and able to help us acquire His perfect peace – especially in the midst of peril.
