Perfect peace! Aww, it sounds so serene, and yet it seems unachievable. We live in a culture where things move at such an alarming pace we do well to keep up with our daily activities. Most of the time, things fall through the cracks and are forgotten because we have cluttered our minds with so many things. I sometimes think all the opportunities we have are ploys of Satan. If our minds are racing or cluttered, we are not focusing on God the way God intended for it to be. We tend to put ourselves in situations where stress is elevated, blood pressure rises, and pills are popped!
Is this God’s design for us? I think not. His desire is that we remain in perfect peace. He has given us the key to how this is done in Isaiah 26:3.
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”
Because of the trust we have in him, we can believe he will do what he says. We can put our complete confidence in Him.
Our minds are to be focused on Him. He wants us to walk with Him every moment of every day. It is true that he will never leave us, but most of the time we are not aware that he is there. It’s like your kids going on a trip with you, but putting in the earbuds and pretty much tuning you out. They are there, but you’d never know it!
We have chosen to allow this world to influence the way we interact with God to the point that he rarely gets any time that is totally dedicated to him. Cell phones have replaced the Bible even in church.
While the electronic age has brought us many study opportunities, most aren’t disciplined enough to use it without interruptions. The temptation to check out a text or social media message is greater than most people’s willpower. People can’t even sit through an hour of church services without an interruption. Is it any wonder we can’t have our minds stay on Him? If you are going to use electronic devices for your bible, then at least put it on airplane mode. Otherwise, you will get notices from all sorts of avenues while you are trying to read. Don’t cheat yourself of time consecrated to Him, or deceive yourself into thinking you can do both.
The first step in having our minds stayed on Him, is to develop a habit of beginning the day with Him. Put away all distractions and spend some time with Him alone! Pray about the things you know you will face that day. Read your Bible and allow that passage to take root in your soul. Seek to remember and recall it throughout the day. You may only have 20 minutes that you can squeeze in, but do it! As you grow in your walk, your desire to spend more time will grow. You will find yourself spending more time and waking earlier to be with God.
Next, develop the habit of constant prayer. When you take your kids to school, utter a prayer for them as you drive away. When you get to work, say a prayer for the people you work with. When you meet someone new say a prayer for them. I Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing,” which even includes the people who annoy you or try your patience.
One day we will live in perfect peace where we will see Jesus face to face for all eternity, but until then, we must strive to remove the distractions that continue to rob us of our peace here on this earth.
