The Power Of Love Sample

Peace Starts and Ends with Trust 

With three small kids at home I often say I need more peace in the chaotic moments of parenthood! In the past, I often thought to myself ‘Just have peace. Be calm. You are okay.’

But if I’m being honest, when I did this I never noticed a big difference in my level of peace. One day, it hit me. I was missing a key point in all of this.

Peace starts with trust.

We read in Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” When we choose to fix our eyes on Jesus instead of worrying about everything, we show God we trust in Him.

The same is true with gratitude. When we practice thanksgiving, we show God we believe He is faithful and in turn perfect peace is activated within us. 

Yesterday, we talked about creating a firm foundation of God’s love within our hearts. Now we put that foundation to the test.

When we remember all the wonderful things God has done in our lives, His peace begins to expand around us. We no longer have to convince ourselves to be calm because God is working within us. 

When we give our thoughts over to God, our mind shifts from contemplating all the things we can’t control to the promise that nothing is too hard for God. That He can do anything. 

Peace starts and ends with trust. 

If we just focus on overcoming the fear, we are missing a huge part of the equation. 

The Bible tells us God never sleeps nor slumbers. He is always working, watching and protecting. We need to replace our negative thoughts with God’s promises. If we just talk about getting rid of fear and we don’t talk about what is going to replace those fears, we may get stuck. Our efforts are ineffective. 

God doesn’t just tell us “fear not” and leave it at that. There is almost always an action step after. Do not be afraid, BUT pray in every situation (Phillipians 4:6), put your trust in Him (Psalm 56:3), remember that God is always with you (Joshua 1:9), remind yourself that He has called you by name and you are His (Isaiah 43:1) and declare that He is your shield (Genesis 15:1).

At the end of the day we have to ask ourselves, do we trust that God is our shield and buckler? That He is fighting the battle for us? That He has a hope and future for us? Plans to prosper us and not harm us?

Take Action: 

Is it hard for you to trust God? Be honest with your Heavenly Father in prayer today. If you need help in this area, ask Him for help. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in a greater way. Then continue reading His word and seeking His heart.