“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 KJV)
It is such a great comfort to know that we have the promises of God that we can rely on. And when we fully put out faith and trust in Him, we can have an assurance that we will have peace in Him. This world will indeed have many troubles and all kinds of problems. But we need to remember that this is not our final home. We have a better place to look forward to. And Jesus is already there preparing that place for each one of us who put our faith and trust in Him.
If Jesus stayed in the tomb and did not rise up from the dead, then our hope will be in vain. But friends, Jesus rose up from the grave, and He is the only one in history that has ever been documented to come back to life, and was seen by His disciples. Because of this, we are given access from this life to life eternal through the Lord Jesus. He surely conquered the grave, and we will also one day be resurrected from death to join Him in heaven. So we should not have to worry about what we will face in this world, because all of these are passing away. We should have unspeakable peace even in the midst of chaos, because we know that the Spirit of God is with us to help us through.
There are a few things that I want to share with you on how you can live a peaceful life even in the midst of chaos in your life. These methods have been my own relief to not escape from what is going on in the world, but just putting a different perspective and realigning my focus to what is more important. These are absolutely necessary if you want to have peace and be able to live out your purpose.
Peace in the midst of chaos? What should we do?
1. Turn off the noise
Everyday we are bombarded with too much information out there. Whether it is through television, radio, internet, etc. There is too much noise, and a lot of times it keeps us from getting a good, peaceful sleep at night. In my own experience, there were times when it was just too much. Even in my sleep I was being disturbed with anxiety and had to wake up in the wee hour and had trouble getting back to sleep. When our body is not getting enough sleep during the night, the next day will be in chaos and we are overwhelmed and feeling fatigue. This kind of situation can’t go on for a long time without adverse effects.
And do you know that Satan uses the chaos of this world to take the peace away from us? During those times when I was going through anxieties, I had to turn to God for help. I had to turn every anxieties I had over to Him. I would pray, and talk to God in my spirit. I had to read His Word and what it says. A lot of the things that are causing anxieties in so many people is fear.
Fear causes people to worry about what will happen in the future. It causes people to lose hope in a situation that looks hopeless. It causes people to fear dying and so many more. But the Word of God has promised us in the Book of John 14:27 KJV- “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The Lord Jesus was saying this for us to know that we have nothing to worry about. His Spirit is with us. Remember that His name means “salvation; to deliver; to rescue.” So no matter what we are going through and dealing with in life, there is nothing to be afraid of because the Lord Jesus will come to save us if we call out to Him. He is always with us.
In the Book of Philippians 4:6-7 KJV – “Be careful (do not be anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The one essential cure for worry is prayer, for the following reasons:
- Through prayer we renew our trust in the Lord’s faithfulness by casting all our anxieties and problems on Him who cares for us.
- God’s peace comes to guard our hearts and minds as a result of our communion with Christ Jesus.
- God strengthens us to do all the things He desires of us.
- We receive mercy, grace and help in time of need.
- We are assured that in all things God works for our good.
When we call on God from hearts that remain in Christ and His Word, then God’s peace will flood our troubled souls. This peace is an inner tranquility mediated by the Holy Spirit. It involves a firm conviction that Jesus is near and that God’s love will be active in our lives for good. When we lay our troubles before God in prayer, this peace will stand guard at the door of our hearts and minds, preventing the cares and heartaches of life from upsetting our lives and undermining our hope in Christ. If fear and anxiety return, prayer, petition and thanksgiving will once again place us under the peace of God that guards our hearts. There we are safe and rejoice in the Lord.
2. Meditate on the Word of God
To experience God’s peace and freedom from anxiety, believers must fix their minds on those things that are true, noble, right, pure, etc. (Philippians 4:8). If you do these things, says Paul, “the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). The consequences of fixing our minds on the unholy things of the world is that the joy of God’s nearness and peace are lost and our hearts are no longer guarded.
In the Book of Joshua 1:8 KJV says: “This book of the law shall not depart of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” To “meditate” means to read quietly or to talk to yourself as you think. It involves reflecting on God’s words and ways and applying them to every area of your life.
Those who know and obey God’s Word and law will be prosperous and successful in that they possess the wisdom to live righteously and to achieve God’s goal for their lives.
The requirements for prosperity and success are:
- To be strong, courageous and diligent (Joshua 1:6-7)
- To make God’s Word your authoritative guide for all beliefs and actions.
- To study and meditate daily on God’s Word.
- And to determine to earnestly seek God’s presence throughout your life.
This message to Joshua provides us with a set of general principles for successful living; however, we must never conclude that God is bound to furnish material prosperity to everyone who follows these conditions. Such general principles are not absolute guarantees, for they are subject to God’s higher choices for each of us; sometimes He permits us to undergo suffering and adversity.
Those seeking to live under God’s blessing meditate on God’s law (His Word) in order to know God by revelation and to shape their thinking, attitudes and actions. They read the words of Scripture, ponder them and compare them with other Scriptures. When meditating on a passage in the Bible, questions such as these cross their minds:
Is God’s Spirit applying this verse to my life and personal situation?
Is there a promise here for me to claim?
Is this passage revealing a particular sin I must strive to avoid?
Is God issuing a command I must obey?
Is my spirit in harmony with what the Holy Spirit is saying?
Is the passage expressing a truth about God, salvation, sin, the world or my personal obedience on which I need to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit? You are given the will to choose and to make wise decisions. This is your time to do just that. God will be pleased to welcome you into His loving care. Do you know why? You can write down your answer on the comment section below and leave it there for others to read. Please share your thoughts and testimony on this topic to bless and encourage others. I will be happy to read your comments and will respond if there are any questions. Thanks and be blessed.
