Fight for Your Peace!

Ok…so in talking about how to hold our peace we have mentioned that Satan (whom the scripture says is presently roaming the earth like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8; Job 1:7 )) will often make attempts to steal our peace. In the last post I mentioned that the number one way to fight the devil and defeat his attempts is to follow Christ’s example. In Matthew 4:1-11 we see Christ being tempted by Satan in the desert. And we see Him cast down the devil by using the Word of God (scripture).

So these three things jump out at me: 1. He fought with the Word. 2. He used scripture He had obviously memorized. 3. He spoke these things out loud.

We are told that the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any two edged sword, and that it never returns void. (Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:11) So obviously scripture is the most powerful weapon we can use.

Also notice that Christ did not have time to run and get His scrolls to look up a scripture that He knew was in there somewhere! No, here we have a very powerful example of why we should work to memorize scripture…to hide His word in our hearts. (Psalm 119:11) We must be prepared. We simply cannot wait until the heat of battle to start scrounging up weapons. We must work daily to fill our arsenal (spending time with the Lord, in His word and in prayer…talking to Him) so that when the time comes we are ready. This is being on the offense rather than constantly being on the defense. Joyce Meyer once said, “You wouldn’t constantly feel under attack if you would stay on the attack!”

And finally we see that Christ spoke out loud. Proverbs 18:21 is just one of the many places where the Bible tells us that our words have power. We should keep the Word of God on our lips, speaking truth and power to and in our situation.

“For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),”

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The Fight for Peace

“Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]” 1 Peter 3:11 (AMP)

Don’t just hope for peace to find you. Don’t just sit around saying, “Gee…I wish I had peace in my life and in my mind.” Peter tells us we must pursue and go after it. We need to crave peace. And once we’ve grasped it we should fight to keep it!

I’ve mentioned before how that all those little pesky things that happen (lost keys, nothing to wear, caught in traffic, out of gas, burnt dinner, etc…) are Satan’s way of trying to rob you of your joy. Well, it is also safe to say that these tactics are intended to rob us of our peace. And when we give up our peace (it truly is our choice to give it up) we lose power and effectiveness. Our witness suffers as others watch us spiral out of control.

Whether you grumble, huff, stomp or scream, it is hard to share the love of Christ and set a good example for your kids and make a happy home for your family while allowing every little thing to send you into a fit. (I am preaching to myself right now as much as anyone. I’m not a screamer, but I’m a huffer for sure. I’m good at getting all worked up about something small and then getting upset with myself for getting all worked up. It’s a mad cycle that creates quite the stressful atmosphere. I trust I’m not alone.)

The number one way we can fight against the “peace getters” in life is to follow Christ’s example. How did He fight Satan? (Matthew 4:1-11) Please take a minute to read these verses.

Three things jump out at me here. 1. He fought with the Word. 2. He used scripture He had obviously memorized. 3. He spoke these things out loud.

I’ll pick up here in the next post. If you get the chance over the next few days, take some time to read this again and see if you can identify the “peace getters” in your life.

Live on Purpose! (Cont.)

“THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].” Ephesians 5:1

So imitating God… In addition to the characteristic of love (which we looked at in the last post), what else is implied here? What else do we know about the “person” of God? The next thing that comes to my mind is peace. And I would go a step further and say that peace goes hand in hand with stability.

This is perhaps my biggest area of struggle - maintaining peace and stability. Why is it so difficult?? We are imperfect beings living in an imperfect world. Everything around us screams stress and negativity, but Christ 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)

So here (and also in Galatians where it is listed as a fruit of the Spirit which lives on the inside of every believer) we see that saying, “I just don’t have peace” is not a valid excuse. In fact it is a lie from Satan that he wants us to believe so we can convince ourselves that it is not our fault when we lose our peace.

We all have it, but it is our responsibility to fight to maintain it and operate in it. You can’t just expect peace to follow you. You have a job to do.

“Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]” 1 Peter 3:11 (AMP)

In the gospels alone (in the NKJV) peace is mentioned 26 times! Must be important to the way we should live our lives. Begin to grasp the importance of peace and choice to fight for it! In our next post we’ll talk about practical ways to pursue, go after and fight for peace.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will^[a] have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Live on Purpose! (Cont.)

“THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].” Ephesians 5:1

There’s not a whole lot to be added here. This verse is pretty simple. And what a wonderful picture it is. We’ve all seen this, children trying to copy the every move of a parent. They don’t always get it right, in truth they seldom do, but they give it their all and do their best. Mikaela was barely a year old when I caught her trying to shave her legs!

Each day we should be intentional about trying to imitate God. What do we know about God? Well, for starters, God is love. Are you love to those you come in contact with? Not just those you know and like but everyone… And what does it mean to be love? Not to act lovingly, but to actually be love?

I believe to be love is to radiate the characteristics of love found in 1 Corinthians 13. “Love is patient, kind, humble, slow to anger. It keeps no record of wrongs. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” We are also told in that love covers a multitude of faults. And on the ultimate level we see that there is no greater love than to lay down your life. (John 15:13)

Over the next few days let’s try to keep this thought in the forefront of our minds. How do we imitate God? In every situation you encounter ask yourself, “Am I imitating God here?” Seeking to imitate your Father in all things can drastically change your life.

I’m no pilot but think of this…the difference between a horrific wreck and a successful landing is merely a change in approach.

^“Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and ^[a]disregards the offenses of others].” 1 Peter 4:8 (AMP)

Live on Purpose! (Cont.)

Stay Focused!

Emotional stability….awwww...what a concept! J This is hands down one of my biggest areas of struggle. I’m not where I need to be but thankfully I have come a long way since the early days of my marriage when Tim never knew who he was with from one minute to the next! I’m very much a work in progress, but thank God, there is progress!

The scripture is extremely clear that our focus has everything to do with our mood and attitude. Our quality of life, our relationships, our effectiveness, and so much more hinge on our ability to maintain our focus on the only thing that truly matters.

Don’t give up! This is no easy task. We are human, and being controlled by the Spirit takes discipline and practice. It is not easy, but with God’s help and continued focus on growing in Him, it is possible.

“For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again,” Proverbs 24:16

The scriptures below are powerful truths that we must hold to and firmly grasp. I challenge you to commit them to memory. Hide His Word in your heart so that when you feel those feelings and emotions come surging in you will have solid ground to stand on. These are promises from God. And He never goes back on His word! (Numbers 23:19)

“And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.” Colossians 3:2

^“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.” Isaiah 26:3

“HE WHO ^[a]dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].” Psalm 91:1

Live on Purpose! (Cont.)

"Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked." Psalm 94:12-13 (AMP)

Humm...power to keep ourselves calm...

I heard a great sermon recently. One thing the pastor said really jumped out at me. He said, "Most of our problems (struggles) stem from a failure to apply the gospel."

I know the Lord has been telling me that when I find myself in a negative mood or acting in a way that is less than Christ-like, I don't always need to get to bottom of why I feel the way I feel and waste time and energy over analyzing myself. I just need to check my actions against the teachings of Christ and get about doing the things He has called me to.

He gives us power to keep ourselves calm. In the Holy Spirit we have self-control. Let's take the Word for the absolute truth it is...dump the bad attitudes, wrong mindsets, and dishonorable actions, and just do it!

Determine this week to show the power and love of Christ in all you do to all those you come in contact with and not let how you feel affect how you live!