Abiding in the Prince of Peace | How to Win Your Mental War Sample

There’s always hope | living with gratitude thanksgiving and contentment 

“There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing my own heart.”  Alan Redpath

I can’t think of a better way to end this devotion about abiding in the Prince of peace than pointing you vertical in praise to Jesus. There is something powerful about a person who learns to live in a posture of gratitude, thanksgiving, and contentment. These attributes open the floodgates of God's peace in your life because all three get your eyes off of you, your circumstance, your problems and puts them back on Jesus. 

I have a friend who lost a child who was only five months old. It was a brutal season walking with them through that journey. It has been amazing to watch God make beauty out of ashes in this story. Early in my friend's journey, she started using the phrase, there's always hope based on the verse from Psalm 71:14 that says, But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. She understands that no matter what comes her way, there is always hope in Christ. Her statement and story have been an inspiration to many others. Watching her help others navigate pain and sorrow by inviting them to abide in Christ is a sweet thing to see. 

Let's revisit Philippians Chapter 4 and magnify a few things we did not get earlier in this book. Part of not being anxious is thanksgiving and gratitude. If you want to have peace that is being discussed, your mind needs to renew to this principle. You may be thinking about how dire your circumstances are and wondering why God would want you to be thankful for them. The text does not say to be grateful for the events but to be thankful in everything. There is a vast difference. 

God does not call us to appreciate when bad things happen or when evil persists in attacking your life. As we have seen here, He actually calls us to put our faith in Him despite the circumstance. Gratitude is the quality or feeling of being grateful and thankful, warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received, expressing or actuated by gratitude, pleasing to the mind or senses, refreshing. When you are resting in faith in Christ, your perspective on circumstances changes. You are reminded that He is sovereign over all, and no matter what is happening, you can have joy and peace in the midst of it, and that is what you are grateful for. He is what you are grateful for no matter the road you are on. 

There is a clear biblical theme that life sometimes just stinks. Bad things happen to good people, and tragedy comes to all of us at some point. It's not a matter of if pain and suffering will come to the life of a believer, but when and how you will respond. Part of experiencing Christ's peace is contentment. It's easy to get caught up in the horizontal picture of what we have and don't have. This quickly opens the door to comparison and discontentment. Rather than focus on all the bad things or the things you don't have, be grateful because you trust that God has a purpose in each path He leads you down. 

Take some time to process through all that God has done for you. Create a daily discipline to stop and offer thanksgiving and praise to God simply for who He is and secondly for what He has done in your life. Be reminded of His faithfulness and how He has never failed or forsaken you. Intentionally recognize and worship God for the fruit that came from each season. When I live in thanksgiving and gratitude, it is difficult to make myself or my circumstances an idol. Create an altar of worship to God with your words for you and others to see.

Take Away:

1. What are a few easy ways for you to use your words to express gratitude and thanksgiving to God?

2. What was your response to the opening quote from Alan Redpath at the beginning of this chapter? How does this statement challenge your current view on your circumstances and God’s role in them?

3. Take some time to process through all that God has done for you. Create a daily discipline to stop and offer thanksgiving and praise to God simply for who He is and secondly for what He has done in your life. Be reminded of His faithfulness and how He has never failed or forsaken you. Intentionally recognize and worship God for the fruit that came from each season. When I live in thanksgiving and gratitude, it is difficult to make myself or my circumstances an idol. Create an altar of worship to God with your words for you and others to see.

Was this Plan helpful?

We hope this Plan encouraged you. This plan was adapted from a book entitled: Abiding in the Prince of Peace | Learning to Rest in Complete Surrender in Christ

To learn more about this book or explore other resources The Abiding Network offers, please visit: Abiding Network Publishing