Peace be with me
I have been thinking a lot about peace and what that means in my life.
I get worked up too quickly, angry too quickly, frustrated too quickly, need I go on.....
I just finished reading Beth Moore's blog, she and her daughters blog together. Her oldest daughter recently gave great perspective on the desire for peace in her own life that I resonated with.
I personally, love simplicity. I don't like clutter. I don't like unresolved conflict. I like routine. I get anxious if we have too much going on in one week. I am the first to say no and the last to sign up. I try to control my peace and when the "unknown" circumvents my peace.... here comes my sins of many. I really am not trying to be cynical.
I have just been getting more frustrated over being frustrated in the first place. I tell Pete that I get on my own nerves sometimes! I'm not the most eloquent in explaining myself but you get the gist.
For the last few months or so I have been thinking about my lack of compassion for people in general and my anger in the little things that life arouses. However, my desire is to be content in all situations. I've realized as I been reading in the scripture that the peace of God is so easily talked about. It is usually said at the end of chapters in the New Testament. Now, I am not glossing over the words of peace so freely talked about. I yearn for it. My question is how do I find that peace? I am not able to muster it up.... And there is my problem, again trying to control my peace. I am unable to attain true peace by myself. I need God's peace, there is the true rest that I try to seek elsewhere in the routine of my days.
I'm not known for knowing a lot of scripture or where to find certain verses. But my goal since last week is to truly submerge my thoughts into the following verse..... Phil. 4:8 , this is Paul's writing.
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do and the God of peace will be with you". That's how I am going to attain peace.
I can't get all riled up in my Wal-mart excursions or angry that one of the kids spilled ice cream in the car right after I told him not to spill it, or that the kids knocked the whole 8 foot Christmas tree over or that.....I gotta stop before I go down the road I don't want to be on.
Whatever is lovely, noble, just, pure, praiseworthy... that is a pretty picture, huh?!
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3 comments:
Very well put. Yep, I have to mentally see myself putting down some of my thoughts down when I realize they aren't lining up with that verse in Phil.....like putting those thoughts in a hole and covering them up....but somehow they surface again it seems, but He is faithful to rid them in my mind time and time again. My battle cry has become "in light of eternity, does this little thing really matter??" ;) 101% of the time my answer is "no"! ha ha!
Meredith - love your posts because they are usually either very honest and real or very funny (sometimes both). Wanted to encourage you with one thought re: peace. In John 15, Jesus tells us that as we abide in Him, we bear fruit, and then in Galatians 5 we learn about the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, PEACE, etc. Sometimes in our flesh we think that we have to work hard to bear the fruit of the Spirit, but if we think of it like a tree bearing fruit, I am certain an apple tree doesn't have to try very hard to have apples grow. It just remains rooted, receiving water and life from the ground, and because it is an apple tree, apples come forth. I think it is the same with Spirit fruit. As we abide in Jesus, remembering that He is in us and we are in Him, Spirit fruit comes forth. Instead of trying to be a person of peace, patience, etc. (based on our own efforts and ability to control our emotions), we bear Spirit peace. A few years back I was having panic attacks, and I was getting set to speak at NC State's IV. I felt one coming on and so I prayed, "Lord, give me peace. Peace, peace, peace. Give me peace. Lord I need peace." Finally, when I got quiet, He said, Marshall, you have My Spirit. One of the fruits of My Spirit is peace. So stop asking me for what I have already given you in Christ, and simply receive it and live out of it. So I said, "LOrd, thank you that I have peace by your Spirit and ask that you would bear that fruit in my life." And it was like everything got calm and still in that moment. Abiding in Christ is the key to our bearing the fruit that we so long for, and it is Christ in you that longs to show peace and grace in the midst of really crazy and frustrating times. As we trust and abide, He will do the work. (A great book on abiding is Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray).
Yes, I am realizing it is only by God's spirit and power that provides true peace. I love that the Spirit provides for me in my moments that are dark by enabling me to focus on what is lovely,praiseworthy and pure. I do think it is a choice by me. He provides what I need, it's if I am willing to yield to Him in my flesh.
I love knowing that He has given us all things in Christ, like you said we have to receive/yield to what he has given so freely.
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