Do you have peace in your life? Are you living in peace? Peace is something everyone wants but most find it hard to obtain. Peace is actually something that can easily be obtained if we just let go, but some of us are too stubborn or not ready to relinquish control, at least this was how I was before I accepted peace.
What is Peace?
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines peace as:
- a state of tranquility or quiet
- a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom
- freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
- harmony in personal relations
In order to have tranquility, security, freedom, and harmony, one must have trust in something or someone. You will most likely experience peace working at a job if you trust that company’s success. If you are married and your spouse makes you feel secure, you will most likely experience peace because you trust your spouse. If you are experiencing emotional instability and need someone safe to open up to, you would have more peace going to someone you can trust. You are likely to speak freely to that person without worrying. But peace in these situations are not always consistent. Trusting God is the only option that will always remain consistent. If you do not trust God, you will not experience true peace.
Trusting God
So how do you trust God? You can start by letting go and deciding to trust Him. If you met someone new and began to build a relationship, would you simply choose to allow that person to gain your trust until they show you signs or give you a reason not to trust them? If you said no to that question, then you would most likely be projecting your experiences onto that person. You cannot meet someone and automatically assume they are not trustworthy without a reason.
Choosing to trust God is allowing yourself to let go of everything you cannot control and having faith He will remain in control. You do not have to release all control over to Him all at once. You can build with Him and allow Him to control one area of your life at a time as you learn to trust Him. But you will never experience all there is to life and all God has for you if you do not allow yourself to trust Him completely.
Deciding not to trust Him is like saying, “I doubt You” or “I do not believe in You.” If your friend, child, or another family member told you they doubt you or do not believe in your abilities, you would be offended and would question why they would bother being around you. But God is just, and He understands, which is why He does not force us to trust Him or to have a relationship with Him. He leaves the door open and is always ready when we are ready.
Most of us will project our pain and trauma onto Him and not trust Him. I will be the first to say I have. He knows trusting Him is a process which is why He is patient with us. He allows us to bump our heads sometimes just so we can see we need Him. Deciding to trust God is a simple decision, but relinquishing all trust can be a hard process. So if you are having a hard time trusting God, let go of your control a little at a time. Keep working towards building faith in that area by asking Him to help you learn to trust Him. He will help you if you ask.
Now that we understand that to have peace means we must have trust, we will take a look at different types of peace in the Bible. In this post, we will talk about “peace with God.” Stick around and subscribe so you will be notified when the other types of peace have been posted.
Peace with God
Romans 5:1:1-2
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Serious question, are you afraid to die? I once had a conversation with a young man who was afraid to fly. The more I got to know him, the more I began to realize he was more than just afraid of flying; he was afraid to live. When I say live, I mean living his life, trying new things, going to new places, etc., etc. I asked him if he was afraid to fly because he was afraid of dying, and he said yes. I asked him why, and he confirmed my thoughts by saying, “I don’t know where I would go,” meaning, he did not know whether he would go to “heaven” or “hell.”
To have peace with God is to trust He has already provided you with His salvation through Jesus Christ. All you have to do is accept Him as your Savior. Paul and Silas let us know what we must do in order to receive salvation from God in Acts 16:30-31. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” That is all you have to do to be saved, just believe.
Now, I know what you may be thinking, “How can I be saved if I am constantly sinning.” Well, we all do and in this life, we will continue to sin. We were born sinners. It is in our nature.
Romans 7:14-25
“14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
In other words, sometimes we want to do good but we do not. Our inner being or our true self wants to do good, but it is not in our nature to do good. We were born in sin. There is a raging war within us. Only God can rescue us from sin. When temptation comes, we know we can rely on the Holy Spirit to help us overcome it if we allow Him to. But if we happen to fall into temptation, that is what His grace is for. We may not win every battle against sin, but the point is to win the overall war.
Repent and go on in grace. God knows we are just dust and will make mistakes, but that does not mean you can take advantage. He loves us, and He gives us salvation freely. It is a gift that cannot be bought, so living a “perfect” life will not get you into heaven.
When Jesus was on the cross, He was being crucified with two other prisoners. One of the prisoners hurled insults while the other stood up for Jesus. He knew he deserved to be on the cross because of the sins he committed, but he also knew Jesus did not deserve to be on that cross. He accepted Jesus as His God and told Him to remember him when He made it to His kingdom. Jesus told Him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise,” Luke 23:39-43.
What does that tell you? Your good deeds will not get you into heaven. The Bible does not tell us much about the criminal, so we do not know if he lived a life full of crime, or if he got desperate and made a bad choice that cost him his life. But we do know that there was nothing that could separate him from the love of God. Put your faith and trust in Jesus and be at peace with God. Have confidence in where you will go when death comes and your race is over. Nothing can separate us from the love of God and that includes death, Romans 8:38.
More Scriptures on Peace With God
Job 22:21
“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.
Romans 15:13
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Love,
Jaz 
Loving
Yourself
Is
Beautiful
