How to Find Peace

As a Christian sometimes I struggle with Peace. Paul promises us a “peace that passes all understanding” and I have often asked my husband when I would get that peace. Where was the joy? Why did I still get hung up on daily annoyances?

Finally, as I hung in there with daily Bible study, something became clearer.

God spent a lot of time in the Old Testament giving His people direction and rules. The 10 commandments; what to eat, what not to eat, how to treat others, how a community should get along. I realized if we just obey the Bible, all the rules are for our own good. They would not only make us better people, but happier, more content people. To put God first gets our focus off of things and off of competing with other people. Like the old hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” “and the things of the world will go strangely dim.” That’s peace! To know what really matters.

To love your neighbor as yourself – if we really care about others and put their needs before ours, we won’t worry about what we get back or feel slighted by others. We will act in a way that is pleasing to God and feel a contentment knowing we are acting right.

Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. God designed our bodies for work and for rest. He tells us to take a day off to regenerate. That’s a gift that we would guard and enjoy if we really did it.

Honor your father and mother. Television and movies are full of smart mouthed kids who seem to rule the home. God didn’t intend for families to be that way. Our society also discards old people. Years ago the older generation lived with their families until they died. Their wisdom was appreciated. Now the world is very youth oriented and very me oriented. We don’t want to be reminded we will be old someday. And we don’t want to take the time to care for the elderly. Deep down we realize we will be treated the same when we are old, but we push it out of our minds as long as we can. If we honored our parents and our children honored us, how much more peaceful we would be!

Thou shall not kill, steal or commit adultery – seems like a no brainer – but, what about abortion? Taking office supplies? Pornography? Aids? What a mess we have gotten into by not following God’s rules!

Jesus tells us not to be anxious and that He has come to give us life and life abundant. But, we have to do it His way. Only then will we get “the peace that passes all understanding.”