Peace!

I’ve come to realize now more than ever the importance of having peace.  Truth is if we aren’t a peace within our own selves we cannot be at peace with anyone else.  When we are frustrated everything and everyone can easily increase the scale of our frustration.  I often in the past would blame my frustrations on everything and everyone or normally would blame it on the evil that surrounded me daily.  So imagine my surprise when God showed me that there wasn’t anyone or anything to blame but myself.  That revelation took me by surprise and definitely shocked me. 

It is so easy for us to blame our lack of peace on others but it isn’t always easy to recognize that we are the carrier of frustration in our own lives.  It is no coincidence that Jesus said “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27. If we are followers of Christ than why do we allow fear and trouble to come upon our hearts?  He did promise His peace, but is His peace temporary?  Does it blow like the wind as if sometimes we have it yet other times it seems so far away from our reach?  Truth is told that it is a CHOICE.  It is a daily choice of what we are going to allow robbing us of that peace.  When we get our minds wrapped around the idea that others are to blame for our lack of tranquility we are disabling our given godly gift of having peace.  It isn’t your spouse, family, friend, coworker or children that is at fault for your ability to feel peace it is you that is keeping that peace from flowing within your soul.  God can easily fix all our troubles but He cannot force upon us His peace.  Jesus said He gave us His peace but it is our daily choice of whether or not we want that peace to reign inside of us. 

So let us stop the blame game, other people can sadden our hearts but they cannot rob us of peace and tranquility.  The devil can try to shake your faith but he cannot rob you of your faith or your peace.  I used to blame everything on the evil of this world until I realized how abrasive I was being with others and how I was bringing sadness to others by my unwise choice of words or actions.  I realized that when I made a commitment to myself to live life enjoying every minute that God gave me and enjoying the company of the amazing family and friends that He also gave me, I started to notice that peace followed me and that peace started to be contagious to all those around me.  Was my peace contagious because I believe in God? NO!  My peace was contagious because of the effort that I made to enjoy those around me and that effort brought me much joy and that joy was felt on those around me.  Like the scripture says:

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7