“Seek peace, and pursue it…”
According to our text, personal peace is possible. In John 16:33, Jesus said: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (trouble): but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” We can have peace in spite of the troubles of the world, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our text gives us a clue of how to claim this peace. First, the text tells us to “seek peace.” Here are some clues as to how to seek peace: Have peace with God. This is where all peace in our hearts begins, and is what Jesus meant in John 16:33. We find ourselves fighting against God sometimes without not even knowing it. Here is one example: We want to have our own way instead of following God’s will. We fight against the Holy Spirit; Who is trying to lead us to do what we should do instead of what we want to do. Come to peace with God in a saving relationship, take advantage of the gift of prayer, and the gift of God’s word, and this will help you to find peace. Have peace of mind. Having “peace of mind” means that we have come to terms with the troubles of life, and have given them to God. Having peace of mind also means that we have come to peace with ourselves and have peace in our hearts. Have peace with people. It is this that might hinder our own peace, and it is the most difficult thing to attain. Let’s just face it, some people are just hard to take. Nonetheless, having peace with other people, even the most troubling of people is demanded of us in the Bible. I believe that in order to have peace with other people in our lives, we have to have peace with God and within ourselves. Second, the text tells us to “pursue peace.” Here are some clues to how we can pursue peace. Prayer I alluded to this above, but it n eeds to be shared again. “Take it to the Lord in prayer” is not just an empty saying. We need a specific time of prayer, but we need to be aware that we can pray all of the time. You will not wear God out. The prayer room in heaven is always open to us. The following is my favorite call to prayer in the Bible: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. 7. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) Bible Reading Prayer is our conduit to God, while the Bible is God’s revelation to us about Himself and his acts in history. We need to read all of it, but we can also find passages that will touch our hearts that will mean a lot to us. Two of my favorite “go to” texts are John 16:33 and Philippians 4:6-7 - both written above. Make some time for Bible reading. Christian Fellowship Part of our pursuit of peace, and our need for peace with people, is found in fellowship with fellow Christians. This means to have fellowship with God’s people in church and in daily life. Our Christian friends can give us the emotional support that we need to have peace. This is not to be taken lightly. I have often found peace in sharing with a Christian friend, or Christian friends. I hope this article will help you in your search for peace. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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