Under the influence of Peace

At times, I find my peace slipping away when I face a situation or engage with certain people. As christians we are taught to love others. Many times, we will love others at the expense of our peace. When the presence of peace is compromised or threatened, you walk away carrying their weight. We cannot sacrifice what God has bestowed within us.

And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

Matthew 10:13

In the bible, Jesus gives the disciples an assignment to go spread the gospel. He instructs them on what they must bring, what they must do, and how to keep in peace. In this passage, Jesus identifies how the disciples should maintain the element of peace.

“If a house is worthy, let peace surround the atmosphere, but if it is not worthy, let peace return to you.”

It is easier to fellowship among others who walk in the light of God. Peace is easily present when we are around other believers. Jesus journey provides an example of how he walk through the wilderness (world), in the middle where chaos reign all around him. He never surrender to the influence of the environment. Jesus kept peace in the middle of the storm. In fact, Jesus says,

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:34

He walked into the conflict, to separate us from sin (silence the chaos) and bring peace (faith). When we seek Him with all our hearts and receive His truth. Then will we experience His peace.

We give away our peace, hand others the power over us. The influence should be from God nor from the world.

Start by setting healthy boundaries. When you set boundaries, you prioritize peace above everything else.

Here are some best practices:

• Set limitation on the exposure of certain people and situations. Give yourself a timeframe to spend around people. Slowly create distance from people who are peace stealers. Surround yourself with people who respect boundaries.
• Change the topic of conversation to something positive. There is nothing wrong with being a friend and listening to others vent. We can offer support in that way. However, if they are constantly complaining, more likely they are dumping their problems onto you.
• Take up the bible, search the scriptures. I have learn to put on the armor of God, daily. Meditate on God’s word. Ask God to reveal to you the truth about peace and ways to build healthy boundaries.
• When you aren’t getting enough sleep at night, this can interrupt your peace. We tend to wage war in our minds at night, worrying, doubting, and fears of outcomes yet to have happen. We put to much on our minds to try to sort out, instead of trusting God. I am very much guilty of this. Listening to scriptures at night feeds my mind His word. This will filters out the negative thoughts and calm the storm.
• Take inventory of your emotions. Check in with yourself daily, “How is your heart feeling?” “What thoughts are keeping you hostage at night?” Sometimes it can be a situation, a person, or something else. When we take stock of how we feel, we can avoid covering them with excuses. We want to achieve peace. Ask for help (pastor, mentor, bible group or even a professional counselor). Seek someone who is able to help you discover the heaviness on your heart.

One way to build on boundaries: Filter out things that your eyes, ears, and mind are exposed too. I never knew the value in this until I put it into practice. I avoid listening to certain music, specific television shows, movies, books, conversational topics, and limit the time spent in certain groups.

Some may say, this is a boring life or too legalistic if you can’t enjoy fun. Little do they know, I have fun when I am at peace. Not at the expense of losing my morals. God does not allow others to compromise his peace, why should we! Clothe yourself with peace. In the middle of the storm is where you will find Jesus. Even when setbacks happen, with peace you’ll be able to handle it with a clear mind. There’s no price tag to living a free, peaceful life. Ask God to help sort out ways to give you peace which passes all understanding.

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