The Path of Peace
This month we have talked about walking in love, about our offensive weapon (the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God), and about shining the light of Jesus in a dark world. In the midst of all of this, we are called to walk in love, wielding the Word and shining bright, knowing that the God of peace is with us.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7 NET
Every day, we are called to find joy in the Lord. We cannot always find joy in our circumstances, but we can find joy in Jesus. This is so important because we are representing God in the world. We are his tools, using his word to shine a light that will drive back the darkness. This is how others will know that God is near.
It’s normal to have worries and be anxious. But instead of wasting time worrying or becoming ensnared and paralyzed in anxiety, pray. Take it all to God every day, over and over, and be as specific as you can. We won’t be able to leave it with God if we can’t clearly define what we are leaving. Plus, specificity enables us to clearly see when God answers. When we rely on God to handle what we cannot handle anyway, we will find, in the words of The Message translation, “a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
This peacefulness can be cultivated: focus on the good and the pure and the honorable and obey what you know. When we live in obedience, focus on Jesus and rely on him, we learn contentment that is not dependent on circumstances. We have joy and peace that is situationally independent. We can shine a light for those in darkness, and we can participate in pushing back the darkness in this world.
And finally, we are called to present our requests “with thanksgiving”. How can we do this? We can make gratitude a habit. We can decide to find something, or more than one thing, to be grateful for every single day. We can focus on what we have instead of what we lack. We can remember blessings, and we can be a blessing to others. We can remember the cross and thereby keep a proper perspective, letting Christ be at the center of our lives. And this week of Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start!