March 20, 2018
Too Blessed to Be Stressed
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
I'm sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of Israel - that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all (Acts 10:36, NLT).
Friend to Friend
I love the story of the little girl who was working very hard on her homework one night. As the hours went by, her parents became very curious and asked her what she was doing. "I'm writing a report on the condition of the world and how to bring peace," she replied. Her parents were impressed! “Isn’t that a big assignment for just one person?” her dad asked. With complete confidence the little girl responded, “Don’t worry, Dad. There are three of us in the class working on it.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if finding and experiencing peace was that easy?
We work hard at peace - in our world, in our homes, in our relationships, and in our hearts. Yet, so many of us struggle to actually experience or even understand true peace. It occurs to me that in order to understand what peace is, we must first understand what it is not.
True peace is God’s peace and can only be found in Him. God’s peace is not the absence of conflicts, trials or difficulties and has nothing to do with human beings or human circumstances. In fact, the true peace of God cannot be produced on a human level at all. Any peace that can be explained by human logic is very fragile and will surely be destroyed by the storms of life.
I don’t know about you, but storms seem to sweep through my life on a regular basis and peace is often nowhere to be found. If we rely on this spoiled and fallen world for any measure of peace, we will forever be disappointed.
The only source of peace is God.
The only way to know peace is to know God.
The apostle Paul said, “There is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
We tend to focus on the part of that verse that promises peace with God and ignore the harder truth that peace is the result of Jesus reigning in our lives as “Lord of all.” The word “Lord” means “boss” and drives home the point that if Jesus is not Lord of all – He is not Lord at all.
And if He is not the Lord of all, then there can be no peace.
I’m sure you have read the poem below. Even though I often run across it on Facebook, or someone emails it to me, I never read it without being encouraged to remember exactly where my peace is found.
I'm too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed.
I refuse to be discouraged, to be sad or to cry.
I refuse to be downhearted and here's the reason why:
I have a God who is almighty; who is sovereign and supreme.
I have a God who loves me - and I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful; Jesus is His name.
Though everything else is changeable, My God remains the same.
I refuse to be beaten or defeated.
My eyes are on my God.
He has promised to be with me, as through this life I trod.
I am looking past my circumstances, to heaven's throne above.
My prayers have reached the heart of God, and I am resting in His love.
I give thanks to Him in everything.
My eyes are on His face.
The battle is His; the victory is mine; He will help me win the race.
I repeat!
I'm too blessed to be stressed!"
(Author unknown)
As you face the storms of life, face them with God at your side - knowing that He is Lord of the rocking boat and Keeper of the waves. He rides upon the storm clouds of life, flinging peace into the tempest-filled heart.
God is Peace.
And when we know Him as our Lord and have made Him the boss of our lives - we will know Peace.
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
Let’s Pray
Father God, my heart is filled with chaos and confusion. I feel as if I am drowning in mycircumstances and my heart is filled with fear and confusion. I really need the strength and peace that only You can give. Right now, I choose to rest in You.
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Make a list of every storm you are facing today. Surrender each one to God, asking Him to fill its place in your life with His peace. Now, choose to walk in that peace today. When you are tempted to slip back under the crashing waves, remember that the storm now belongs to your Father.
More from the Girlfriends
I know people who would give every penny they have and every possession they own for an hour of peace. In fact, I have been in that place myself. The difference is that the Prince of Peace is my God and because He lives in my heart, so does peace. Yes, sometimes I allow the stressors of life to crowd in and try to smother that peace. I am so thankful that the peace of God is eternal and beyond human understanding.
Want peace? I encourage you to read my book, Escaping the Stress Trap to find 11 practical ways to deal with the stress in your life and experience true peace.
Be sure to check out the FREEBIES on my website and connect with me through Skype, email or on Facebook.
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