If you vote for the general population on what they want for life, most people will probably say financial security, health, and peace of mind. As a Son of God, what is your answer? If I answer honestly, I would probably say health and a worry-free life. My answer seems quite selfish. If you had the opportunity to ask the Apostle Paul this question, what would you think his answer would be? Well, based on his writings, I would say that he will answer, “To know Christ, and to make him known” (Philippians 3:12-21). Certainly, the main edge of man is to bring glory to God. This is the main mission of life, no matter how the Lord is given to us.
So is it wrong to want financial security, health and peace of mind? That’s not necessarily the case. It’s all about perspective. Do you see them from a secular perspective, or do you see them from a kingdom perspective? The secular perspective wants more money, more money, more money. The Kingdom perspective desires God’s provision to meet his daily needs. The secular view of health and peace of mind will be looking for those in what the world has to offer. The idea of the Kingdom is to look to the Lord for his wisdom, his comfort, and for his peace.
No matter what aspect of the fence, everyone wants to feel peaceful, whether they are believers or those who don’t know the Lord. And the Lord wants it for us too. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 states, “May the Lord of Peace always give you peace now. The apostle Paul closed most of his letters by talking about the peace of God, and emphasized the Lord’s desire to experience God’s peace.
As the apostle Paul outlined in Corinthians 13:11, I think there are five ways to experience God’s love and peace.
Let’s break it down:
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1. be happy
They say the mind cannot respond to negative emotions such as worry or anxiety. The brain can only feel one of those emotions at a time. It seemed easy back then.
So, how do you practice gratitude throughout the day, even in times of stress, anxiety and worry? Through prayer and worship. We rejoice in everything that God has already done for us and want what He will do for us. Psalm 27:13 states, “Unless I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the living earth, I will have lost my heart. Wait for the Lord, and have good courage.
The best example of the power of worship that breaks the chains of worry and anxiety comes from Acts 16:25-26, saying, “Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God, and other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, and the prison shook to its foundations. Then when you fall into the suffering of anxiety, turn on the music of worship and sing loudly to the Lord. I promise, when you prepare your heart to rejoice in the Lord, you will feel that the chains of anxiety fall, and you will experience God’s love and peace.
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2. I’ll make it completely
So, how do we make ourselves perfect? By maturing to Christ Jesus through continuous prayer, study of words, spending time with other mature Christians and being part of the fellowship of believers by attending church weekly. Through these practices, we become more and more acquainted with the Apostle Paul’s category. The more we know him, the more we will feel his love and peace, especially when the inevitable trial comes.
On the other hand, we may have a realm of spiritual walking where we are weak. Identifying those areas, seeking guidance, and seeking wisdom from mature Christians will strengthen us more in our faith. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Because I trust you, the heart will keep the people who are immobilized in perfect peace.”
When we constantly strive to perfect ourselves, we experience God’s love and peace in a whole new way.
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3. Please comfort me
“Comfort me” seems like a strange advice. In other words, who doesn’t want to be comforted when they feel tormented? Still, do we really allow ourselves to be comforted? Sadly, people can seek comfort in all the wrong places. By immersing yourself in your work through addictive behavior or by scrolling endlessly with your eyes on social media. There is no peace found by doing those things.
As believers, we have all the God of comfort who we want to give peace. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Bless us to be all our comforting God, the Father of Mercy who comforts us in all our sufferings, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can comfort ourselves, so that we can comfort ourselves in all our sufferings.”
Does anyone really know how to receive God’s comfort? Our first clue as to how we receive God’s comfort is from the poem above, where when one of God’s children is comforted by him, they comfort others with the comfort they received from the Lord. Too often, we hold on to the problem and not share it with anyone. “How are you?” asked. And like me, you respond, “I’m fine!” …When you’re nothing…it’s important to share our struggle with fellow believers. God uses them to convey His love and peace to us.
Certainly, God’s Word brings comfort to us. After all, it’s his love letter to us. When we go to the Bible for comfort, we will find it. God’s Word always speaks of love and peace on us.
Next time you are unloved or feeling anxious, allow all the God of comfort to serve you through his people and his words.
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4. Do like-minded
God created us as individuals. We all have our own thoughts and opinions, and that’s fine! So, if it’s okay to have our own ideas and opinions, how can we be like-minded? Especially within the church, depending on how we respond when different opinions and suggestions are made. Sadly, the church could be split up about the style of music, the type of worship, and how things are done in the church, but we are called like-minded. The division of the church is not about living in peace with one another.
Recently, our church has completely redo the sanctuary from paint to rugs to additional furniture. I’ve personally not a fan of some color choices, but that’s fine. It’s not a problem at all in the scheme of things. The key is to see my brothers and sisters who gather in the building every Sunday, the gospel sermons from the pulpit, the love and care we have for each other, and show each other the Christ. It’s a place where we like to be like-minded… not superficial, but essentially.
When we are as heartfelt as our Lord’s brothers and sisters, we experience God’s love and His peace in the way that God intended for the Church. Proverbs 12:20 says, “The hearts of those who promote peace are filled with joy.”
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5. Living in peace
You may look at this subtitle and think, “This is not an article.” You’re right, but it’s also a way to experience God’s love and peace.
When we walk through the spirit, we live in essentially peace. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, self-control…”
When we show love to others, we reap the beautiful blessings of God’s love and live in peace. To allow joy to be the undercurrent of our lives is to nurture a life of peace. Being in peace with others by showing perseverance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, kindness and self-control creates a life of peace.
When we live in peace, we experience God’s love, God’s peace, and the rich life that Jesus died for us.
Practice these five ways to experience God’s love and peace.
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Karen Del Tato is a blogger, author, female ministry leader, pastor’s wife, mother, and grandmother with passion for the Word of God. Her blog is a book that grows together with grace and knowledge and chooses to trust God: breaking the habit of worry, choosing to choose to choose to trust God with 30 days of prayer reveals her mind by providing biblical insights to encourage women to equip their struggles while overcoming. Karen and her husband live in Rhode Island, enjoying strolls in the woods, flowing and spending time with their grandchildren.
It was originally published on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024.
