All We Are Saying, Is Give Peace a Chance

Perfect Peace

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

Notice that Isaiah says that God keeps us in perfect peace. It is His job to do that. Of course, that does not mean we do not have a part to play. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, walking through life knowing we are in a world governed by a good and benevolent God staves off fear and brings a measure of peace. That is one of the things we can do… but I suggest to you another nugget of wisdom for walking in perfect peace.

The apostle Paul said the following to the Philippian Christians: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do: and the peace of God shall be with you.” (Phil. 4:8-9)

Our part is also played by changing the things on which we set our minds. We all know people who are always finding fault, always pointing out the negative. These people have no peace. None. The thing is, we choose what we think about. Those who are faultfinders are choosing that negative and agitated life. You can choose otherwise. It is within our control on what we focus our minds.

The age in which we are living has oodles of things in it which can be characterized by falsehood, impurity, ugliness, disrepute, vice, and criticism. We can focus on these things if we choose, but we can also instead focus on the opposite. Someone might respond and says, “HUH! Life is all that bad stuff and I would be putting my head in the sand to not recognize that!” Paul is not suggesting that the Philippians ignore the bad stuff. Paul previously in this letter had acknowledged that there was division, fleshly living, adversaries, false teachers, and evil workers among them. Like them, we must be aware of these and respond accordingly; but having done so, to bring our minds back to the good.

You can find the good and the pure all around you if you just decide to do so and take the time. If you take the time, time after time, and make it a habit to focus on it, you are well on your way to allowing God to give you peace.

Turn off the news, Tune out the noise. Seek and find the true, pure, and lovely things in life. The choice is yours.

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For His glory,

Jim