Peace is freedom from disturbance; a calmness at our core; tranquility. Peace is a valuable commodity; something to be pursued and sought after. Peace can be found in solitude or in meditation or with certain people that we choose to spend time with. Peace can be found in the places where we go i.e. nature, church, our homes, those “special” places where we visit only occasionally to relax and to recharge. I don’t know about you but the more I experience peace, the more I crave it. We can find peace by realizing that we don’t have to engage in every conversation going on around us. We also don’t have to react or respond constantly to our environment. Another way to find peace is to come to the realization that we don’t have to be in control of everything or to know everything. Anytime we experience real peace it is a gift from God. The devil doesn’t bring peace nor does the world around us bring peace. Over the years I have been listening to the teachings of Dr. Charles Stanley, Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen and I try to apply these teachings to my everyday life. According to Joyce Meyer we can find peace with ourselves by doing the following nine things. I don’t know about you but I could use a little help with every one of them.
#1- We should not spend so much time continually inventorying our faults; there are no perfect people in the world and everyone has them.
#2- We should never compare ourselves to others nor should we compete with others in unhealthy ways. We should run our own race, be who we are and do the best that we can.
#3- We should listen to what God’s word says about us; not what other people say about us.
#4- We should let go of the past and continue to press on towards our future.
#5- When we make a mistake we should repent, ask forgiveness and move on. We should not dwell in condemnation. Guilt is useless; it only weakens us and guarantees that we will repeat the same mistakes all over again.
#6- We should make a decision to like ourselves; our whole self. We should laugh at ourselves and determine to have a good time. We should enjoy our own company.
#7- We should learn how to make a decision and be confident about it. We don’t need to second guess ourselves or always ask others for their opinion.
#8- We should stop trying to figure out what God is doing in our lives as He is oftentimes a mystery. We shouldn’t be mad with God when we don’t get everything that we want when we want it. He has a better plan and our timing is in His hands.
#9- We should make an agreement with God to never ever say bad things about ourselves.
Now it’s your turn to share your thoughts on peace. Do you have it?
Hi Sandy, I find peace when I realize what I’m capable or incapable of, and set boundaries accordingly for myself in what I can or can’t do to make life’s circumstances better in the lives of those I love and mine. I always feel better in knowing that ultimately God will work things for our good even when it doesn’t feel like that is happening in the present. I sure do love your blog!
Thanks Robin.
Peace for me the past two weeks has been in experiencing the beauty that the Japanese People have created in this corner of God’s World – and enjoying the love of children and grandchildren. Sandy, this was a great blog and talked of many things we can work on. You’re doing a great job my friend! I am thankful for your friendship. ❤️
Thanks Nancy. What a wonderful opportunity you had. I’ve enjoyed looking at your Facebook pictures of your trip. I really appreciate your support and your friendship as well.