Peace

We must pursue peace, Friends. Yes, it’s freely given to us as believers and as branches of the Vine. But the fruit of peace can so easily rot! Fear, worry, anxiety, lies, shame, guilt, too much info, too little info, attempts to control, etc are all used by the enemy to infest our bountiful harvest of peace and thus steal our joy and invade our love. I love how the below verses address our minds and hearts when it comes to peace!

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Isaiah 26:3, Colossian 3:15

There’s a reason the Gospel of Peace is included in the Armor of God, we must stay rooted in His peace and stand firm on His holy fertile ground. So what does that look like? We stay connected to the Vine, to His truth, to His purpose, and to His rule. I received a reminder from Her True Worth recently that ‘peace isn’t just a promise from God, it is a guide’.

May the peace of Christ rule your heart.
Colossians 3:15

We pursue peace and prune the choices that hinder His gift of peace from thriving in our lives. As we fight for peace, we seek Him first. We seek first the Kingdom of God. When faced with choices, we chose the Vine and His peace.

Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ. Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Put into practice the example of all that you have heard from me or seen in my life and the God of peace will be with you in all things.
Philippians 4:6-9

Stand firm in peace! The enemy loves to disrupt our peace and break down our joy. The gospel is founded on His love and peace, just as our feet must be founded on secure, solid ground.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:7

Like joy, true peace can be best revealed in the midst of struggle, battle, chaos and commotion. The gospel is based on our having a peace beyond understanding – having peace with God establishes our relationship with Him so we can experience the peace of God. Pursue peace with God first and grab hold of the Gospel, the Good News, the story of Jesus our Lord, the abundant life from the Vine!

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
2 Thes 3:16, Jude 1:2

Just as exercise is valuable to our overall health, rest and stretching also play important roles in our wellness. So take a 30-minute break to savor His peace and stretch your heart, soul, strength, and mind with this video linked below.

PS – True peace is independent of circumstances, just like love and joy! So hopefully when my four-year-old son popped in the tell me something, it wasn’t too disruptive. 🙂