Look for the ingredients and embrace the process...
Don't
we all want peace that surpasses understanding? Don't we all want to be at calm
in the middle of life's storms? Don't we all want to have peace, even when all
circumstances indicate we ought to be rattled?
Check
this out: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your
reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious
about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)
Here
are the ingredients:
--rejoice
always
--again,
rejoice
--remember,
the Lord Jesus is returning ("The Lord is at hand...")
--in
everything, pray
--in
everything, supplication, which means urgent asking
--in
everything, thanksgiving
--let
every request be known to God
The
process:
--do
all of the above...literally
If
we are rejoicing people --meaning, EVEN IF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES do not naturally
lead to rejoicing-- it will be because we are constantly remembering what God
has done, looking for what God is doing, and looking forward to what He will
do. We will rejoice in the work and person of God, not necessarily in our
circumstances. So, rejoice!
Keep
the fact that Jesus is coming back at the forefront of your thinking.
Pray.
Ask God. Pray again. Ask urgently constantly. Give thanks (out-loud). Count
blessings and give thanks. Literally, take everything to God.
If
we are rejoicing people who are constantly talking to God and giving thanks,
THESE THINGS will be used of God to guard our hearts.
It
is by constantly remembering and seeking Him and putting His person and work
against the balance of all that is going in our lives that we connect with God,
abide in Him, and get the presence of His peace into our spirit.
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