The world walks with such a lack of peace. There are also so many christians who have taken on the titles of peace-less people. So many people label themselves with anxiety, ADHD, ADD, sleep deprived, depressed, socially anxious, insomnia, and the list seems to never end. Now for the world, there is no peace outside of Jesus. So that’s your first step (check out: Because He Loves Us First to pray and accept Jesus into your heart). Now that you’re a believer, I have one thing to say to you, you need to take the word for what it says. Peace is a promise we get to walk in and so many people are just not taking the word seriously. So let’s talk about some ways to practically maintain peace in a world that operates in fear.
1. Start Your Day With Jesus
This is a game charger. What is the first thing you do in the morning? Do you squint through your eyes to see your phone and go straight to instagram? Are you jumping to listen to a secular song? Something that has changed my life is starting my day with the Lord. Whether it’s opening my Bible first thing (which is my favorite consistent habit I developed in life that I think everyone should have), putting on my praise playlist, praying, you can never go wrong with starting off the day with Jesus. Psalm 63:1a NKJV says, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You;” When you wake up and invite the Lord into your day from the first moments to me is like giving the Lord the best portion of your day. It’s like saying, “Okay Lord, here is the best part of my day and I want you in every moment of it and give you the first part of it.” Think about when you tithe off of your paycheck before doing anything else with your money, you’re giving the Lord the first and very best of your finances. Seeking Jesus first thing in the day is like that too. I’ve found that starting my day with the Lord has kept me calmer, more sensitive to the spirit, slower to react, and ready to go! You starting your day this way sets the tone. Think about the times where you’ve gone through the day and a minor inconvenience in the morning happens and then the rest of your day goes awry because you had an off moment and suddenly your attitude sets you up for more off moments. Make the little habit adjustments and just watch how much smoother your days will go. Read your Bible, listen to praise – I say praise because I need to get my energy going in the mornings – or worship, confess the word over yourself, It’s there for us to use.
When you start your day with Jesus and the word you can’t go wrong. The word says that the Lord watches His word over it to perform it so confess scriptures like these over yourself.
- Psalm 4:8, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Thessalonians 3:16, Philippians 4:9, Romans 5:1, Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 29:11, John 14:27, Psalm 34:14, I Peter 3:10-11
As a believer peace is your portion. You are what the word says you are, you can have what the word says you have but you must activate your faith for it and faith comes by hearing and reading the word of God. That my friends, is a great way to start your day with the Lord
2. Watch What You Put Into Your Spirit
Personally experienced this one as a middle schooler most. Being a musician and going to public school means I was exposed to some not so great songs. I was depressed and listening to depressed music and guess what? It kept me depressed. I was putting that music into my ears, letting it flood my mind and affect my emotions. I would listen and cry more or I would just let it keep me in an unhealthy emotional state. This also doesn’t even have much to do with depression solely either. I would fall asleep to secular songs and there was a song I always would add to my queue and have to skip because it made me feel even more anxious and would end up skipping it. The world is shoving these unhealthy emotional agendas on everyone and it’s not helping. I learned when I’m sad that I can’t listen to slower, mellow songs because it makes me sulk. If I go and listen to music that is like listening to sunshine then I will be happier a lot faster, if I open my mouth to exalt the Lord I will lift my spirit and be happier too. It’s actually not that hard. Just don’t listen or watch things that will make you feel worse.
I went through a very unexpected event in life. Kind of felt like a rug was pulled from beneath me but the difference between what happened to me recently and other situations in my life is that I’ve been so careful of what I expose myself to that I was actually able to bounce back quickly. I had moments where there were rushes of panic but I would go and pray and rebuke my emotions. We’re created to have emotions but we aren’t supposed to be controlled by them. Like an evangelist I listen to says, “right feelings follow right words” and it’s true. You can’t go by emotions in this life and when you lack peace a lot of people make emotional decisions to bring themselves comfort but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can live at ease, peace, and a state of rest. There are people who spend their lives watching horror films and look and feel anxious but it’s because they opened their spirits to that at a young age. Philippians 4:8-9 AMPC says, “8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.” The word would not tell you to keep your mind on these things if it wasn’t to benefit you. It keeps you at peace. God is the God of peace and grants peace to us, we just have to take it for ourselves. So watch what you hear and what you think. It affects you more than you know but when you start catching those little foxes and casting down every vain imagination like II Corinthians 2:10 says it will make a world's difference for you.
3. You Are What You Believe (Not Just Eat)
We’ve all heard the phrase, “you are what you eat”, which is true in many ways but you are also what you believe. If a doctor told you that you were sick? Would you believe it and take it on yourself that you have x, y, and z? If someone came up and delivered undesirable news to you about your life would you accept it and freak out? Only you can answer that. But what if I told you that, you don’t have to? You have a better word. You can walk in supernatural peace that goes beyond all understanding. That has been one of the best experiences I’ve had with the Lord a lot lately. There were times where things made no sense, I had no decision I could make to change the situations in my life besides making time for the Lord continually. It made for supernatural peace. When I say supernatural, I mean only the Lord. It was apparently evident to others. It actually led me to a place of contentment. I only got to that point because I stopped trying to control everything possible. I learned that there are just some things that won’t be what I expect, want, or can control. All I can control is my emotions and what I do with my time and allow the Lord to have His way in every area and make amends where I can. My mom always told me she was shocked with me at times because I was always going out of my way to make peace with people when I could if something didn’t go well and was especially stressing me out. I hate when there’s a lack of peace. So if I have the power to make something better even if it doesn’t result in closure then I might as well take the measure. There’s peace when you can say you did everything you could on your end with the Lord’s help. Also, this requires surrender daily. You need to just breathe and trust the Lord. Don’t try to put every puzzle piece together but let the Lord carry you, rely on Him, lean on Him, and watch how much peace you carry naturally. Believe what the word says about you and your situations in life. Believe that the word says you can go to bed and wake up peacefully, you can peacefully go about your day knowing the Lord has provided everything you need already, you can go into public settings without anxiety and know that the Lord is with you. Stop believing lies and start believing truth. Not just any truth, but THE truth. THE truth is the Bible, what it speaks, and its promises.
Go In Peace, Literally
It might not always seem that simple at first but it can be. Make that choice. A lot of things in life just come down to simple choices like deciding when you should or shouldn’t say something, what you do first thing in the morning, and the list keeps going. These simple things will keep you on the path for peace though. Start and consecrate the start of each day to the Lord. Watch what you listen to and open your eyes to. That’s why there’s a song that goes, “oh be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down with love so be careful little eyes what you see.” What you open your spirit up to will shape and mold much even if you think it won’t. It’s inevitable. Lastly, believe the word. Stop making excuses and saying “my truth”. There’s one truth and that’s the word. I’m confident that the word is better than any other “truth” you could accept or believe. Pick yourself up and walk in the peace promised to you and be bold!
Until Next Time,
Keziah-Grace
Seek Peace + Pursue It
