by Renee Scott
There are times in my life when the peace of God overtakes me and I feel like I can conquer the world. I stand confident in the fact that nothing will hinder God’s purpose in my life. Those are the moments when I truly live out the promise that God will give me peace that passes human understanding.
Then there are times when I feel like God is nowhere near. I pray and I wonder if He hears. I try and find peace in the middle of my doubts and fears but the worry of the situation can take over. Even though I’ve grown up in church, study His word, and share it with others, I still have times when I have to search for peace like so many others.
I’m not sure why those moments of uncertainty creep in because God’s word is clear. Early in scripture Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) tells us, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.” He also tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV), “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” It’s obvious that God wants us rock solid in our faith! He desires for us to have peace but for us to bear the fruit of peace, we must possess it within. We can’t give to others what we don’t securely own.
It’s important to understand that peace is not the absence of adversity. Instead it’s calm in the center of turbulence. Challenges in our life are a given but peace can only come through Christ. I wanted to share just a few ways that I find peace:
Prayer:
Having a simple conversation with God will be of assistance to encourage you. Crying out to Him while sharing your doubts and fears help to bring a positive outlook on the situation.
Reading Scriptures:
There are scriptures to deal with every challenge under the sun. Whether you’re dealing with children, finances, marriage or other issues, there are passages of scripture to encourage you along the journey. Most Bibles have a glossary that will lead you to scriptures based on common subjects.
Writing/Journaling:
Sometimes the peace of God arises within me after I have soaked my journal with tears. Writing is a place where I can explode through the written word. It provides me an opportunity to spill out my feelings on the paper because keeping my emotions bottled up can be detrimental.
Focusing my thoughts:
I often focus on the problems in my life. I hesitate to give full thought to how much God has blessed my life. I’ve come to learn that whatever you focus on will expand in your mind. A simple thought will soon become a large, worrisome, avalanche of a problem. Satan knows that if he’s able to take our thoughts away from the wonderful provision of Christ, he would have accomplished his task. Whenever I feel myself concentrating on the problem versus God’s blessings, I quickly stop the thought process by reciting out loud Philippians 4:8 (NLT) “Christian brothers, keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things.”
My prayer is that in the middle of your circumstance, you will find peace. It starts with an ability to trust God at His word. Once the peace of God rises within, you will be able to share it with others.
Renee Scott is co-founder of the popular blog, Double Portion Inspiration, where she shares encouragement and inspiration to men and women all over the world. She’s been a member of Grace Family Church for four years. She loves to run and recently completed her first half marathon. She is a wife of over 14 years and mother of two children.