Promises promises

There are different types of peace.

False peace: comes from the belief that you will have peace if you find the right place to rest or the perfect car or house or family. False peace is thinking your bank account will outlast you.
Peace with man: refers to having peace with other humans. Interpersonal peace. Peace with your neighbor or peace between countries.
Peace with God: knowing you have a relationship with Jesus. We will get more into this on Christmas eve.
Inner peace

Fast facts on Inner Peace:

Two-thirds of U.S. adults say they feel a deep sense of inner peace at least several times a year, including 44% who have this feeling monthly or more often.
Jewish people (28%) and the religiously unaffiliated (30%) are less likely than Catholics (41%) and Protestants (53%) to say they feel a deep sense of inner peace and well-being monthly or more often.
60% of Evangelical Protestants and those in the historically Black Protestant tradition are the most likely of the religious groups analyzed to say they feel a sense of inner peace.
Atheists are the least likely of all the religious and nonreligious groups to say they feel inner peace. 63% say they seldom or never feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being.
Women are more likely than men to say they feel this sense of inner peace at least monthly (48% vs. 39%).

What does it mean to have inner peace?

Inner peace can be described differently by everyone but it feels the same to everyone. You know when you have inner peace and you know when you don’t.

Today you need to learn how to have inner peace because inner peace improves just about everything in life and it is a gift from God that’s available to you.

God tells us to seek peace. We should seek peace because peace is good.

“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 34:14

God promises to bless those who seek peace.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9

Seeking peace with others which is something that is in short supply right now. God wants us to make the effort.
There will be some people who do not desire peace, because they are not at peace themselves. But we are still too do our best to be at peace with them.

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”
Romans 14:19

What does inner peace look like?

How to find and experience inner peace every day:

1. You find inner peace when you get peace with God.
Jesus gave His disciples peace based on the truth that He has overcome the world. Jesus Christ is Lord. He is real, he is actively involved with us and in our lives.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

Real peace comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
When you have peace with God it saturates you from the inside out. That peace comes when you know you are loved, forgiven, accepted, and valued.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15

2. You keep inner peace when you let the Holy Spirit lead you and comfort you.
Be spiritually minded. To be spiritually minded brings life and peace. Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit working in your life. If you are allowing the Spirit of God to rule in your life, you will experience His peace.

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
Romans 8:6

Have you ever Read the story you’re telling yourself? If you find yourself spiraling over a perceived disappointment, frustration, or panic-inducing thought, try stepping back to assess whether what your brain is telling you is true. Examining the source of your turmoil can make it feel smaller in size.

Don’t let the world and it’s lies pickpocket your peace. We constantly tell ourselves that things are all wrong, that it’s going to get worse, that there is no hope or options. Don’t let lies steal your peace. This goes back to being led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t tell you to worry about this and that, or to see the worst possible outcome in every situation.

Your inner peace is not based on external circumstances.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27

Read the story you’re telling yourself. You and I control very few things in life.
You will have more peace more often if you trust God to be God and let God deal with God sized problems.

A Story About What Peace Looks Like

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived.

The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered in awe.

One picture of peace was a deer drinking water on a glassy lake.
One picture was of a gentle snowfall on a calm winters’ night.
One picture was of a sunrise over a field.

Surely one of these pictures would be the winner.

But there was one picture left. Could this be the perfect picture of peace? This piece displayed a tumultuous waterfall cascading down a cold rocky precipice. The crowd could almost feel it’s cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.

Upon a closer look, a little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.

This was the perfect picture of peace.

You will find peace when you get a relationship with God.
In a world that is cascading with unending issues, you need the peace of God to keep and experience inner peace. True inner peace is only available through peace with God because true peace is an attribute of God. The peace of God is available to you through Jesus.

Let the Holy Spirit lead you and comfort you. When you are following the Holy Spirit, you will be more at peace because you will know that you are in the center of God’s will. Being in God’s will is peaceful even if it seems crazy.