Peace In the Mind

Do you presently have anything that is robbing you of inner peace and rest? Do you sense God’s life in you calming your fears and putting your heart at rest?

Yesterday we talked about Jesus giving us a very special gift…

"I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. John 14:26-27

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33

God’s Peace is found only in a person. We will have trouble and sorrow in this life. So we know that the absence of problems is not the key to experiencing God’s peace. Only by trusting in Christ will I experience the peace that God gives.

God’s life in me produces an amazing inner peace that calms my nerves and puts my heart at rest-even in the midst of trying times. As we have said, this is a matter of choice. We can choose to surrender to the Holy Spirit, resulting in our bearing His fruit. Or we can give in to "the desires of the sinful nature," that is, desires of our senses, which can be highly influenced by Satan. In that case, the fruit is not love, joy, and peace. On the contrary, what flows out of us are immorality, impurity, indecency, anger, ill temper, jealousy, and selfish ambition.

The battle for peace of mind is won in the mind. Where is my mental focus? What is my mind-set?

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; Romans 8:5-6

If I set my mind and heart on Jesus and allow His indwelling Spirit to have control, He will fill me with God’s life and peace. If I allow my mind to go on auto-pilot it will naturally gravitate toward what my sinful nature craves and those things do not tend to lead to life and peace but death.

So here is what we must do… “Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness—righteous, holy, and true.
Eph 4:22-24

Each day that I choose to set my mind on God, He progressively changes the way I think. There is a renewal of my thought and attitudes. Peace is the result of an act of the will to set my mind on the things of God. It is a daily conscious action to consider others and choose to put God first. To be characterized by peace is not acquired all at once. (Even though I can experience peace any time I choose to surrender to God’s indwelling spirit.) A peaceful Christ-like character comes step by step. It is a result of development and growth over time. To experience the peace promised here, all of us need the help of the Holy Spirit. He alone can help us to know this peace to the full and in all its rich variety.

Let’s do this: Let’s surrender together right now. Pray with me…Father, we choose to yield our hearts and minds to You right now, in this very moment. Please fill us with Your life and peace. Even though circumstances in my life may not change immediately, I choose to rest upon You. You are my peace. You are my Joy. You are my Love. Fill me right now with all of who you are. Thank you so much! Help me to keep my mind set on You for the rest of this day. Amen.
Don’t miss this weekend’s powerful message as we continue our "God's Life-Is It In You?" series. We will talk about a peace that passes all human understanding. Bring a friend. We are going to have a great time together.
Chris
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Isa. 26:4