How in the World do I Get Peace?

How in the world do I get peace? 

Phillipians 4:4-8

What is peace and how do I obtain it? It is a fruit of the spirit and we must go through turmoil and overcome to obtain this fruit. If our lives were perfect and we never faced adversity we would be stagnant Christians, content to stand still and do nothing. It is human nature to not like change and growth. In fact, I don’t like it much at all. Yet, at the same time I don’t want to stand still in my spirit it is the flesh that is unwilling to move but with the spirit flowing in us like a river we are ever moving forward, or we will die.

The Lord spoke to me in a beautiful way this week about His peace and that He had given it to me. God can give it to us, but we must receive it from Him, in order to obtain it. If I were to receive a birthday present from a friend or family member and then never took the gift home, did I really receive it? I would have to answer no. I think we often leave the gifts the Lord gives us on the table. What have you left on your spiritual table?

When you are headed in the right direction, I promise you will face opposition. Oftentimes from those who mean the most to you. This has happened a few times in my life, but I know that through every situation God has helped me to grow into who He desires me to become. I often fall short and I am truly my greatest critic. Yet, He has something more even in my criticism for me and for you. He has perfect peace in the midst of your storm.

There is something to the familiar statement, “He gives us peace in the storm.” He is our help and from whom I am nothing without Him. You may be misunderstood, you may be walking a lonely journey in your personal wilderness, or you may be facing financial, personal, and health issues. But I am here to tell you today, that God is with you in that storm. You may be in great sorrow, but joy comes in the morning. I for one have had to depend on this promise from the Lord a lot the past few years.

I truly don’t understand and yet do understand the process that God has had me in for the last few years. I have had to solely depend on the Lord. It has been a very humbling and humiliating experience and I am still in the midst of this trial. Yet, my God is faithful, and He has never left me or forsaken me in my sorrow. It has been a lonely walk and an enlightening walk as well. If we always do the same things, we always get the same results. God has been calling me to a higher calling and that road is a broken road, it is paved with broken glass, broken ideals, and a broken spirit. I am not bitter or upset at anyone, but God has used circumstances to show me that I have to truly die to self and to not stand in the way of the Lord.

The Lord is calling me and you to a life of deeper consecration and prayer. He is calling us to obedience to His word, but also to His voice. Without obedience to the word, His voice, and to our leadership in our lives we will stand still. It is imperative that we heed the voice of obedience in our lives. Maybe this blog won’t hit home for you now but it will hit home at some point in your walk with God and hopefully this blog will come to mind and help you to walk the journey and know that there is peace and understanding on the other side, in the morning.

I want to warn you that when you get serious about becoming who God has called you to be all hell will break loose! But that is when you know you are headed in the right direction. I want to share some of the distractions the enemy will use to misdirect your life from fulfilling your calling:

Miscommunication of your words, 

Misconception of your actions and integrity called into action, 

Hurt Feelings, 

Sickness in your body or a loved one,  

Personal attack on character and lies, 

If you are single many opportunities with the wrong type of person,

 Made to feel alienated and alone and loneliness, 

Constant mind warfare replaying any and all these distractions in your mind,

 Depression and sometimes anxiety, 

Fear and inadequacy.

How do we counteract these distractions? I can honestly tell you that it is not easy, but I know it will be worth it all in the end to see souls saved and lives changed. If will faint not, we shall surely reap! I guess it is here I will be candid about some of the things going on in my life. If we always seem like we have it all together, how can we truly help anyone? I for one am tired of the enemy coming against me and you! It is my hope that through this blog that you will gain some peace and know that you are not alone in your struggle.

Here is my story: I lost my job sadly to say about 2 years ago now. I have filled out 100's of applications, and have probably been on 15 job interviews, with no job in the horizon. My car was re-possessed about a year and a half ago and I have had to depend solely on the kindness of others. This has probably been my hardest trial to have to give up my independence! This has truly not been easy. My parents are both ill and have faced many trials. I have had the attack on my mind continually, no matter the prayer, the fasting, and the word. I have felt useless, helpless and alone. BUT God! I have not wavered in my faith in Him, for He owns all the cattle on 1000 hills.

I don’t know how He has done it, but He has kept me. I have been blessed beyond measure and He allowed me to start a small food business. It has had its ebbs and flows, but it has been God. He has kept me all this time and He has shown me that He is my provider and if I will trust in Him, He will provide my needs. God doesn’t ever put us through trials that He is not preparing us to overcome. He doesn’t put us in valley’s or winter and not have a plan to lead us out. Discouragement is not of God and I have held true to my faith even though I haven’t seen the end of the trial. I know my God is faithful, He will bring me out and He will bring you out too! It isn't about the job and the car in the long and short of it the reason I am here is because God has stopped me in my tracks to change me. He has been working out of me some long time fears and inhibitions and the tendency to alienate myself and go it alone. 

I have made lots of mistakes on this journey and I know there has been people I have hurt inadvertently, for which I am truly sorry. I have learned that I have to take responsibility for my actions and wrongdoing lest I continue doing the wrong things. It is one of the hardest lessons to learn but if you are willing to ask for forgiveness even when you are the one who has been hurt, you will learn true freedom. 

I promise you, it’s not easy to stand when all you want to do is crumble. I have been in great sorrow and my heart has been broken more than once. I had put back up walls that had once been down. I closed myself off to not be hurt again. I alienated myself thinking it was safe. I listened to the lies by the enemy. I was also told to give up, go back to Michigan, that I must be sinning, that God is angry with me, that I haven’t tried hard enough, and all the while the enemy saying I am not worth anything. I may not know much but I know that my God is standing for me in peace and that He has a plan, even when I was blind to see it. Job stood alone and his trial was over when he began to pray for his friends, he began to see their needs above his own. He lost his selfishness even though he was being persecuted, he began to see beyond his own troubles. 

I think I have lost sight of this in the past few years. Yes, I love others but my trials have been in my face and it has been hard to see others. That is just raw honest feedback for myself. I have loved them and served them but maybe I haven't seen them. It hurts my heart that I have been selfish. But God is leading me out. 

Today, I stand and say, no matter the shortcomings, no matter the journey, no matter how bleak it may look, I know my redeemer lives! I know He is working and fighting for me. I refuse to back down, I refuse to give up right before the victory. Don’t give up! You are standing in the midst of your miracle. Don’t let the enemy and the words of others keep you from becoming the woman or man of God, He has called you to be! Every bit of your trial is a distraction to keep you from prayer, overcoming, and becoming who you are called to be! 

A Word That Changed Me

A few weeks ago, a man of God came to our church and he spoke a word of prophecy in my life. The short story is God was calling me to the next level and it was time to step out and do what He was telling me to do. There was nothing he told me God had not already told me but to hear it all spoken in one word sent me to my knees. How in the world could I really be and do all that he had spoken over me? This sent me into more intercessory prayer, more reading of the word and more soul searching. This of course never makes the enemy happy and all fangs have been out ever since. I truly recognize the tactics of the enemy but also know that not all criticism is bad criticism. You must take it and keep a teachable spirit or otherwise you miss the point of the trial in the first place. I want to also say that I can never do the things he stated, and that it is only God flowing in me that any of it will come to pass.

New levels bring new devils! The Lord revealed to me at Texas Singles Conference this year some shortcomings and some footholds of the enemy in my life. I have fallen short, but I am here to tell you the story is not over yet! I choose the peace of the Lord in the storm! I choose His ways over my ways, and not my will but His will be done. I don’t want to get to the end of my days and wish I had done the things; He had called me to do. I don’t want to stand in my own iniquity and think I had the better way when God was truly working it out of me. If there is one thing I know, He is seeking to give you and me peace. He wants to fight the battle and if we let Him, He will overcome!

I want to share with this word of hope that the Lord gave to me this week. If you are in the trial of your life this word is for you too. If you are weary and want to find peace this word is for you. If you want to give the devil a black eye this word is for you!

“Let peace come upon you. My peace I give thee. I am not tossed about the waves and I am not in wonder. I see you. I know you. I have called you. I am calling you out of turmoil and into your destiny. I am the God of peace and I am giving you great peace; I’m giving you my peace. Trust my timing and know that I have led you on this journey and I have prepared the way for you. I have unfolded my plan for you, and I have anointed you for my glory. I have been pushing you and teaching you to not only hear my voice but to wait on my timing. My ways are perfect, and my peace is perfect. The lies of the enemy have not consumed you and you are not forsaken. I have stopped him in his tracks and he no longer has a foothold in your life. I have been bringing out of you your greatest fears and teaching you to overcome. I have set you apart for my glory and at every juncture in the road, it is I the Lord who has ordained it. I know exactly where you are because I have placed you here. Step into your anointing and know that I am your peace and I have gone before you.”

How We Obtain Peace:

Philippians 4:4-8

1)  Praise: We have to praise Him in the storm. It is funny how God works. I just taught a bible study on how praise is the key to wholeness. Having peace is all about being a whole person in Christ Jesus. Don’t let the enemy or any person steal your praise. V4 “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” No matter the weapons of the enemy remember, we win!

2)  Moderation: which means to be gentle, kind, patient and fair. This means we have to have peace with all men and purpose in our hearts to be kindhearted and to not let our good actions be called into question. V5. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”

3) Thankful: Everything we have comes from the Lord. We don’t have to anxious for anything and worry is actually a sin. We are to leave everything in His hands and to let Him know everything that we have need of and know that He is in control. V6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

4) Knowing: It might not make sense to others but you know in your heart that God is faithful and He is working it all out. It is faith in action. Knowing is one step beyond faith, faith is knowing He can, but knowing is just that knowing He will do it. V7. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

5) Our Diet: Prayer, Fasting, and the Word must be apart of our daily diet but there is more. What are we letting our minds dwell on?  It is easy to dwell on the negative. This person doesn’t like me. That person did this or that. And although some of it might be true you have to take responsibility for your part. What are you eating? As in what are you letting feed your soul? Who are you letting speak into your life? What are you ingesting spiritually? Are you reading the word? Are you careful what you put before your eyes? Are you letting the opinions of others dictate who you are in Christ Jesus? I would have to say that we all struggle with some or all of this but the answer is in the Word. V8. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

These are the tools to living an overcoming life with the Lord. We have learned them, we have to then receive them and then become them in our lives as an example to others. We are to be content in whatsoever state we are in whether we are hungry or full, whether we are rich or poor. If we live by these principles, then we know that we can do all things through Christ which strengthen us. But we have to do our part, to receive peace and strength! Peace cometh by staying true to the steps I have laid out. It is up to us to obtain peace. God is calling us to a life of peace and holiness. He is calling us to a consecrated life unto Him and without peace we cannot obtain His promises. We cannot be in utter turmoil and walk in His peace at the same time, it is just not how it works.

I pray this blog blessed you and that God will show you in this how to obtain peace and now be willing to do the work to become the person God has called you to become.