I Choose PeaceSample

Choosing Peace in a Broken World

We can’t eliminate the bad things that happen in this broken world. That’s reality. But how we handle them makes all the difference.       

• We are the product of our thought lives.
  “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he,” says the old King James translation of Proverbs 23:7. You are who you are today because of what you thought in the past. Who you will be in the future is based on what you think today.
   
• Our emotions flow from our thoughts.
  Your thoughts trigger feelings. Then you make decisions based on your emotions. Here's a key thought: when the Holy Spirit shapes our thoughts, our hearts are at peace.
   
• What we allow into our minds is the most important decision we make each day.
  If your thoughts shape who you are and how you feel, then what you feed your thoughts with becomes an extremely important series of choices. For better or worse, what you watch, listen to, read, say, and think about are life-changing.

Paul’s teachings are as relevant to us as they were to the people of Philippi, whose world was filled with violence and injustice. 

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Paul immediately follows this command with a second one: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice ” (4:9). And then comes the promise: “And the God of peace will be with you” (4:9). 

Here’s the process:

Command #1: Think about true, noble things.
Command #2: Put God’s Word into practice.
The Promise: The God of peace will be with you.

The battle for our lives is not out there in the broken world. It’s in our hearts and minds. When you put God’s words into your mind every day, the God of peace will show up in your life like never before.