In Perfect Peace

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." -Isaiah 26:3
 
What is it like to live in perfect peace? In the world we live in, many people live with lots of fear. Depending on what is going on in the world and in our lives, and where we have placed our trust, this can increase or decrease our fear. 

But Jesus didn't want us to live as slaves to the world. Instead, He wanted us to live as "slaves" to the kingdom, which means a different thing entirely. It means we are obedient to His will, which produces the fruits of peace, love, and joy in our lives. (Among many other things.) 

There have been times in my life where I've feared certain events or circumstances. But it Hebrews it says, "all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain." (12:27) This means that the things we fear in this life are temporary, (will be shaken and removed) while the things of God are eternal. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we don't even need to fear death - we know where we are going when we die! 

Other versions of the verse above say "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (NLT), and "because he remains in you." (ISV) the truth is, if we keep our minds fixed on God, we can walk in perfect peace, because we trust in Him.

Are you able to fix your thoughts on Him today, in order to live in perfect peace? "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Phil 4:7

Being Steadfast in Our Faith

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You."  -Isaiah 26:2-4

Have you ever heard the term, "slow and steady wins the race"? Or, have you ever heard the story of the Rabbit and the Tortoise?  I'm sure you've heard of one or both of these.  This principle of being consistent and grounded is very important in living out our faith!

Our maturity as Christians is often revealed as we walk through life’s obstacles.  It is our proving ground for growth.  Dr. Sam Peeples said, “The circumstances of life, the events of life, and the people around me in life, do not make me the way I am, but reveal the way I am.”  Will we bend or will we break?  Someone who is steadfast in their faith is not likely to break when storms come.  They are firmly rooted in what they believe.  Though the winds may be howling and the rain pelting, and even though they may have a hard moment or two, they stay grounded in the truth.  They stay rooted in their faith.  Emotional maturity is tied to this – when we’re steadfast we’re not likely to fly off the handle.  We know God’s got it covered –  we search for His promises applied to “such and such” situation.

“They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”  -Luke 6:48

In a moment in time, how we feel about our lives or about a situation is only temporary  It won’t last.  We won’t even carry our emotions with us into heaven.  Though they are so real in the moment, emotions normally don’t even last more than a day.  What does remain is our love for people, our love for God; the kindness and love of Jesus we showed others. The artist Jewel said it well:  “In the end, only kindness matters.”

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  -1 Corinthians 13:13 

Are you steadfast in your faith?