Peace in 2012

27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14

I have been considering making 2012 better than 2011. Yesterday  I looked at making sure I have a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy in my life. Today, I focus on making His peace the theme of my life. 

Jesus talked more about peace and the absence of fear than anything else. He spoke the above words hours before His crucifixion. If our lives are going to mean anything, if we are going to accomplish anything for Christ, we are going to have to get past fear and on to peace. 

If I can make certain truths real in my life, I can have that peace. 

• God is in control of everything. Without this assurance, the world is a scary place. Everything seems so chaotic, only because we forget He’s in control.  Relax. He’s got this. 
• He loves me and will see me through every circumstance, no matter how difficult or painful it may be. Most of our misery comes from believing we are not loved and the crazy things we do to get that love.  Forget it.  The God of the universe loves you.  What more do you need?
• To have Christ’s peace, I must surrender my life to Him. When I hold onto my ways and plans, I’ll experience turmoil. He’s in control. Why do I think I can do a better job of running things. In the words of Dr.Phil, “How’s that working out for you?”
• I have a limited perspective and understanding of my circumstances and God’s purposes for allowing them. His goals for me are greater than my immediate comfort. Stop thinking that today’s problem is there to ruin your life; just accept it’s there to improve your character. 
• I must live in sync with God, walking in the Spirit and promptly confessing and repenting of sin. Life is not a rocket to perfection. It’s made up of daily falls and a string of second chances. There is no shame in admitting failure. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Just another chance to get it right. 
• Scripture is my foundation for peace. It increases my trust in the Lord’s goodness, assures me that He keeps His promises, and reminds me of His sovereignty over every situation. Make a plan to get some scripture in your head each day. Find a daily scripture reading plan that works for you and get into it.