“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.  John 14:27

Most people today would probably agree that the world is not a peaceful place.  But no matter where you look or how hard you search you will not find true peace of mind and heart in anything or anyone in this world.

True peace of mind and heart can be found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Peace comes when we follow our heart, for our heart is where God resides.  We must rest in that peace and allow it to work through our mind, not the other way around.

The enemy and the world bombard our minds with thousands and thousands of thoughts every day.   These thoughts then bring feelings that overwhelm us – stealing our peace of mind and heart. These thoughts bring anxiety, anger, frustration, fear, hopelessness – but no peace.

We are admonished in 2 Corinthians 10:5b to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  Our mind is the battlefield.  Taking captive our thoughts is our spiritual weapon against the enemy. 

“Thinking about what we are thinking about” is our way of discerning whether our thoughts are of God or the enemy.

 

Philippians 4:6-9 teaches us: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

If you are looking to the things of this world to find peace – you will never have true peace.  There is an inner peace that only God can give.  Seek God’s peace and pursue it!

Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.  2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT)