The Scriptures promise "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3) Growing up that verse was quoted time and time again in my childhood. When the anxiety of life started to press in, that quote would always come up in the conversation.
I suppose that I never really realized the impact of that statement as much as I have here lately. It contains a positive promise, and also indicates a negative one as well. It would stand to reason that if "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" then also, the reverse would be true. If your mind is not stayed upon the Lord, you will find little or no peace.
If I were to go back and "map out" the times of real stress and worry in my life, it would find they were times I was worrying about "the cares of this life." Financial difficulties, job situations . . . just the common list of things people worry about. And yet, mixed in with all that, there are times of real peace that I can recall as well. Times when I was studying the Bible diligently and keeping up my prayer life.
One of the easiest traps to fall in once you are saved, is the "lazy Christian" syndrom. After the initial salvation experience, and the first few weeks and months of discovering God's Word, we often begin to fall into patterns of inactivity in our walk with Christ. It seems enough just to go to church on the weekends, read the Bible occasionally and say a quick prayer every now and then. We are satisfied that we are going to Heaven when we die, and that seems to be enough.
Oh, how many blessings and wonderful conversations with our Creator we miss simply because we allow our lives to get too busy! God wants to give us knowledge, wisdom, and peace, in this present life. We have the opportunity to gain all of these things.
Our lives do not have to mirror those of the unsaved. We can peace in times of trouble, knowledge to see God's hand in our lives, and wisdom to show us the pattern of His working.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Corinthians 7:10
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Philippians 4:7-9 |
