The Peace Barometer

   The one thing everybody desires is peace.  Peace from national conflict, peace with other people, and most importantly personal or inner peace. This type of peace can only come from God.  Jesus said shortly before His death, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” John 14:27.  The kind of peace this world hopes for is a peace from difficult circumstances.  When the problems go away or the difficult circumstances change there will be peace. That is not what Jesus is offering. He gives peace that allows us to persevere during the difficulties of life. As a matter of fact Paul said that the peace of Jesus that guards our hearts is beyond understanding. That is truly an amazing type of peace.  This peace is only possible for those who have Christ as their Lord and Savior.   We have peace with God when we trust the work of His Son on the cross for salvation. Only then can we can have peace from God because of the work He has done in our thoughts or hearts.

   There is a great ‘peace barometer’ in Isaiah 26:3. The author says to God, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You”.  If a believer is not experiencing this inner, personal peace it is because his mind is not ‘stayed’ on God and trusting Him.  He is dwelling upon things of this world and seeking peace through a change in circumstances.  God commands us in Philippians 4:8 to think about things that bring about this peace.  God has no other plan than this. It is sufficient. Check your ‘peace barometer’ by asking yourself, “Am I anxious, worried, fearful, or nervous about the circumstances or relationships in my life?” Isaiah says it is because your mind is not ‘stayed on Him’. God has intentionally built into us this ‘peace barometer’ to make sure that our relationship with Him is our number one priority.  It is by design that we can’t find peace in this world or through a change in circumstances.  God wants us to only experience it through a saving and trusting relationship with Him. 

Do you ever wonder “What do I do now”?  Are you looking for direction? God knows exactly what we need to do next. Consider Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your works to the LORD and your thoughts will be established”, and Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”  When we decide to do things God’s way, He will make it quite clear what it is we are to do.  If we are not interested in pleasing Him, He may not be interested in revealing His will to us.  God’s Word, the Bible, is totally sufficient for every thing we need.  Are you looking elsewhere for direction?  What could benefit you more than from hearing from God almighty?  Read the Bible, do what it says and you will be right where God wants you.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” Proverbs 3:5, 6.

A few years ago there was a movie that came out called The Accidental Tourist. I never saw the film but the title has always intrigued me.  How is it possible to doing anything as involved as taking a vacation by accident?  It seems, however, that many professing Christians live most of their lives by accident.   Christ meant for us to live our lives On Purpose , not by accident.  We are to live every single moment with the purposeful goal of pleasing our God (II Cor. 5:9).  Am I going to work On Purpose?  Is my home life On Purpose?  Do I build relationships with the lost On Purpose? Do I use my time, finances, and abilities On Purpose? Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24).  It is God who gives us purpose. If I am living for myself I am not just wasting my time, I am wasting God’s time as well.