Peace is attainable in this crazy mixed-up world!
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| Walking the beaches in Costa Rica 2014 |
Now that I speak in respect of want:
for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Philippians 4:11
The world is searching for relief from their stresses. Today crisis-driven, money-motivated hectic lifestyles are pressing people to the limit, especially since the Corona Virus struck.
Have you ever wondered if it was possible to live stress-free? Would you buy peace if it was advertised as a product?
Well, you can be the first person on your block to have peace! The Bible is full of comments and teachings on how to live without stress. Peace is Priceless. But peace cannot be bought or sold.
When we moved from California to South Carolina, the above verse became very real to me. No matter what state I lived in, I would be content. But I think Paul was talking about something deeper.
Peace is a state of mind. When we live a life of prayer, we can build positive mental health. I'm not talking about sitting all day with our hands folded. If you're like me, I talk to God while I'm making my bed. My Lady Leaf's Lounge is now a no-phone zone, but I can dial up Jesus anytime!
It is the Holy Spirit that transcends our own weak spirit to lift us to a point of being content. This peace described in the Bible is defined as a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Man cannot create this product; it comes from God.
Giving up our wants is a major key. I find that the more I want, the more demands I put on myself, thus propelling me out of my peace mode. I have to remind myself:
What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36.
Remove Stress by Eliminating Sin
There are many peace robbers--money, power, and physical temptations, to name a few. These can be forms of sin when they are taken to the point of losing our peace. God gave us the Ten Commandments to make our lives peaceful, not to make our lives harder. Think about it, most of our stress is self-inflicted.
Most of us know what is right and wrong because our conscience tells us. So let's focus on correcting any stress-caused sin. Simply, God knows we are not perfect. In planning for our transgressions, the Bible tells us how to remove stress by eliminating the sin. We are called to ask for forgiveness. God calls us to confession because secret sins cannot co-exist with peace of mind. When we confess our sins, God forgives us before we finish the sentence. In Psalm 51:10 David asked God to forgive his sin and to create in him a pure heart and renew a right spirit in him. God forgives us, just as he forgave David. God takes pleasure in watching the cleansing of our conscience.
A few years ago I experienced a stressed-caused peace robber. I asked a Christian editor who I met in California if she would be interested in editing my Lady and the Sea manuscript before I sent it out to the mad world of publishing. She jumped at the chance, we set a price and some deadlines, and because she needed the money, I mailed her $300.00 up front. Three months of communicating via e-mails, she continued to give me excuses why she hadn't shown me any work. Is my writing that bad? Is she bored to tears with my story? went through my insecure mind.
My flesh worked overtime trying to figure out how I should handle this unexpected incident. She finally confessed that she was in an alcohol rehab program. Oh, my. It was obvious that she wouldn't be editing for awhile, so I quickly offered her an easy payment plan to reimburse my $300.00. Instead, she asked me if I would forgive her $300.00 debt. Oh-me-oh-my.
I asked God, "What shall I do? I don't want to let her off the hook if You're trying to teach her some kind of lesson." I prayed. Know what He answered? Forgive her. And I did. Wasn't easy. And I beat myself up for days because I thought He had told me to hire her in the first place. Finally, when I quieted my spirit down--and my flesh--the Lord explained, "The incident isn't about the money. It's not about forgiving the debt. It's about forgiving her."
Well, I forgave her and her debt, but like I said, it wasn't easy. I felt that I had been betrayed by a person I trusted. Has that ever happened to you? This incident reminded me once more that we must always put our trust in the Lord. He will never disappoint us. And there is where I find my peace.
If God says we are forgiven ...
... then we are! The hardest part about forgiving is forgiving ourselves. Long after we have confessed our sin to God, we often carry the guilt with us, day after day, sometimes year after year. The devil enjoys this because it paralyzes us from having perfect communion with our Father. I did hear from God about hiring that editor, even though the outcome didn't turn our the way I had planned. There is always more to every situation we find ourselves in than meets the eye. God forgives us, so we must carry on to the next assignment that awaits us!
Let it all go!
I remember the story of an old friend who said on her deathbed that she had a lot of trouble in her life, most of which never happened. Isn't that the truth? Am I preachin' to the choir? Most things we worry about never come to pass. Worry and fear creep in, and before we know it, we are paralyzed to go about our daily tasks, much less make any decisions that need to be made.
Our Heavenly Father wants us to give it up! Stop beating yourself up over the 'what if's'. Jesus says, Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.
Right after my brother John was diagnosed with stage-4 stomach cancer, the Corona Virus from China hit the USA. We had no longer returned from the Mexico cruise than Covid-19 closed everything down. These are the times when you must accept the gift of peace that God gives you. Jesus says, I am leaving you with this gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace that the world gives. John 14:27. This gift defies all logic, so in order to receive this peace we must learn to hear God's voice through whatever the process takes.
Sometimes peace robbers are just life's misfortunes. Stuff happens. I know, you call it something else, but it's all the same! We can only see our situation through our eyes, but God sees the big picture. No matter what comes our way, we learn to weather the storm, and just walk through it. When I lived on the World War II ship for fourteen months, stuff happened on a daily basis, whether it was a hurricane in the Pacific, a conflict between the crew, or my heart attack in Greece (I still don't know which was worse).
Why Live a Peaceful Life?
Life becomes a pleasure when we learn to dwell in peace. It's hard to stop and smell the roses when we're under the burden called stress.
I find I can work in harmony with Christ more when I demand less from myself and from the people around me. Simplify is my motto. When we lived on the WWII ship Restoration, our cabin was the size of a walk-in closet. I had three small lockers for my clothes. The rest of our belongings were stored in boxes underneath the double bed my husband Rob built for us (there was no way he was going to sleep in a single bunk bed for fourteen months!). The rest of our stuff was stored in one of the holds below the main deck. I learned to live light and travel light, for which my hubby is grateful. Now, I'm not suggesting that you give away all your beautiful handbags and shoes, but perhaps try asking yourself before you purchase the next item, Is this going to clutter my life, or will it bring me more peace? I know, that's a loaded question for you Prada purse-collecting gals.
If you've noticed, it's hard for us to reach out to the needs of others if we don't have peace ourselves, so lets endeavor to keep our 'want list' short, simple, and necessary. (oh, thou shoe collector, please don't turn me off!)
Through the years, I have found as my faith grows, my stress level decreases. Since moving to South Carolina, whenever a stressful situation hits me in the face, I take a deep breath, lasso my little malte-poo Popcorn, and head out the door for a walk. The pond, the trees, and the fresh air does wonders for my soul. I can pray and walk at the same time so by the time I return home I'm surrounded by a peace that passes all of my understanding. I've given myself time to process the situation, and I have a happy dog!
What works for you? A long walk? A hot, relaxing bubble bath? A good, sweaty workout? A trip to the mall to look for another pair of shoes?--kidding (delete that last suggestion--I don't want to be responsible for a stressful purchase!)
Living in peace is impossible to teach because it is a personal journey of knowing and loving the Lord and getting close enough to let Him teach us how it works. If He can give me peace through my brother John's Ketruda treatments, He can give you peace to whatever you are going through at this moment in time.
Good decisions and wisdom lead to peace in the challenging journey of life.
Until next time ...
whether near or far,
keep reading and keep that body movin'!
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