Increase Your Peace

Increase Your Peace  

 

 

 

Stress.  It’s something we all deal with from time to time, but we all seem to handle it a bit differently.  How should we be handling it though?  For me, I tend to resort to missing meals, missing sleep, and a negative attitude.  None of those things are very good decisions; and to be honest with you all I definitely have some work to do in this area!  I’ve discovered a major flaw, however, in how I go about “fixing” my stress.  Typically if it’s caused by exams, friend problems, or anything I think I’m capable of overcoming, I spend a lot of time trying to fix the issue.  The problem with this is I can’t always fix the issue myself, thus, leading me into further frustration. 

The truth: When we are obedient and do everything with excellence, we can find peace through trust in God.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. Isaiah 12: 2

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

In other words, when we are doing our best to serve God but there are still some bumps along the way, we really just need to step back and let God do the work.  He may not fix your problem but He will give you peace IF you let Him.

The truth: “Fixing” the stressors in your life isn’t always necessary.  God will calm your storm.  

You know that old saying, “everything happens for a reason?”  Well, whether or not you believe that to be true, God allows us to face trials for several reasons, but He never wanted to see us suffer.  God provides peace because He does care, and although it may seem hard, sometimes we just have to allow the stressful times to pass and rely on God to carry us through.

The Lord will fight for you. You have only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

So God may have left us with the world in which we, in fact, will face many stressful events, but He also left us with the gift of peace.  Kind of silly to just ignore something like that, you know?  It’s so easy to slip into fix-it mode, but when we take another look at the Bible, it is clear that the stressful times have lessons to be learned and God will be there to give us PEACE.

The truth: God’s peace passes all understanding.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

I can tell you from my personal experience, all of the verses I have listed are no joke.  It’s hard to explain, but there have been times where I’ve been so stressed, then a simple prayer gives me such strong assurance and security that I’m not walking this journey alone, and everything is going to be alright. 

So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with stress, rather than try to “fix it”, remember God’s promise.

Until next time…

Peace out. ;)

Integrity

Integrity

 

 

On my mind lately is the idea of what we do when nobody’s looking.  Now I’m not talking picking your nose or dancing like a crazy person to your favorite song…but rather, the person you are when the world isn’t watching.  We all have our morals, our beliefs, and our convictions; all of which are typically simple to follow when we have an audience.  I mean really, who wants to look bad in front of someone else? However, it can be pretty easy to step outside the lines when nobody’s there to call you out.  So maybe you already exercise what you preach, but if I were to guess, I’d say all of us have our moments where our selfish, humanly side takes the driver’s seat.

The truth: There’s always an audience of one.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men Colossians 3:23

Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart Ephesians 6:6

Living on earth, it’s easy to assume that nobody sees the things we do it secret; but it’s foolish to draw this conclusion.  You can’t hide it from God—and his opinion is the only one that really matters anyway.  (For reference, Jonah is a perfect example of this.) 

The truth: True character is what you do when nobody’s looking.

Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4

So sure, you may not get all the “credit” you desire for doing what’s right when nobody’s watching on earth; but I think that comes along with the territory of being a person of character.  We’re not always going to get rewarded for the things we do when nobody’s watching, but God sees and He will reward you in Heaven. When we do what is right simply because it’s right, God does not let that go un-noticed!

The truth: Everything you claim to be is meaningless if there’s an “on” and “off” switch.

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 2 Corinthians 5:11

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Proverbs 11:3

Honestly, what’s the point in putting on a show?  Imagine judgment day…do you think God’s going to be there stating, “Wow, you did a great job living a righteous life when everyone was watching.  Forget about the times in secret where you fell short, because you sure impressed everyone!”  Yeah, I’m gonna guess it won’t go like that. Being righteous and integrity-filled is all about how you live your life despite the presence or absence of an audience.  When it’s all said and done, your character and integrity is only between you and God, and the “ideal model” you’ve created for the world to see is irrelevant. 

So think about it, do you act the same way when nobody’s looking?  Are your intentions to impress others, or do the right thing?

He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Luke 16:10

Until next time…

-Tamara