Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 14:27

Good Morning Beautiful,

The more that I grow in my relationship with Christ, the more I began to value God’s presence and notice the difference between when I am letting Him in and when I am blocking Him out. God is distinctive, and it is hard not to notice Him when you see the presence of His Spirit working in your life. 

Lately, I have had a lot of anxiety over my future and trying to figure out the direction God is calling me to go. It is easy for me to go into doubt mode and believe that nothing will ever go my way. Because of God’s peace, for the first time in a long time, I have chosen not to think that way but accept that God is in control; therefore, something good will happen. 

Operating in the flesh

In difficult times it is easy to be overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety, depression, fear, nervousness, doubt, confusion, heartache, pain. It seems as though our bodies naturally turn to panic mode. Or in the spiritual sense, we say we are operating in our flesh. When you are in panic mode, it is hard to think, and therefore, our reactions are unpredictable.  

At times, it feels easier to give in to what we are feeling, for example, doubt. Doubt is a hope killer; it will make you feel as though nothing good will ever happen and that nothing is going to change. When we let doubt rule our minds, we see from a place of skepticism. Thinking from the impossibility position instead of anchoring our hope to the Lord and seeing that God can make it possible through the impossible.

When God is in the Midst

In John 14:27, it says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” 

Overcoming negative thoughts and feelings can be difficult, especially when you become invested in your feelings. What I mean is, we start to rely on our natural responses because they appear to be more reliable at that moment. However, in John 14:27, God tells us that we don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to give in to our hurt and disappointment. Instead, we are given peace. Peace may not seem like much, but when God powers it, Peace is everything. 

Peace is God’s parting gift to us. With God’s peace, we can be calm and free of worry and doubt and all other negative emotions. The Word of God says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

I know that it is hard to stand firm in the Lord when it feels that nothing is going your way. We lose hope, and our emotions can overcome us. The scripture that always keeps me leveled is, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

God’s peace is not of this world, but it is stronger and more powerful, which we need to get through hard times. For those who may have never experienced it before, the peace of God is a presence that will calm your racing heart, and it will quiet your intruding thoughts.  

Reflect

1. How is God’s peace different from the world’s peace? 
   1. Where do you feel as though you fit? And why?