I have been thinking about peace a lot this week. I used to think peace was just a feeling on the inside; a quiet, content, undisturbed feeling about making decisions. I still think this is a definition of peace, a small part of all that peace entails, but I also believe that the Lord is showing me that it is so much more.
"Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]" John 14:27 AMP
Jesus left us HIS peace. The Hebrew word for peace is Shalowm, pronounced Shaw-lome'.
It means completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, health, prosperity, tranquility, and contentment. All of the things we can only find in Jesus.
How do we get to a place where we can walk out and live in peace, in complete lack of the things mentioned above: troubled hearts, fear, agitation, a disturbed state of mind and heart, intimidation, cowardliness and an unsettled soul?
The Answer...
By beginning to agree with what Jesus says is the truth about us. By beginning to recognize the lies of the enemy for what they are, LIES. What a wonderful revelation to realize the difference between conviction and accusation.
Accusation is from the enemy and always points to our faults, our lack, what we think we are not. Conviction, reminds us of our righteousness in Christ and reminds us of all we are because of Jesus. ~ Daveda
When God shows us areas of weakness, He shows them to us in the light of His peace that He left us. He shows them to us wanting us to agree with Him about them. Agree with Him is saying...
"Thank you Lord that I do not have to feel condemned about what I see because my weakness is made perfect in your strength. Thank you Lord that I do not have to be afraid of my weakness because you have already perfected this, you have perfected me and you have the ability and the power to continue to change me. You love me just as I am and your opinion of me is the right one, the true one. I believe what you say about me Jesus and I know that you will enable me to walk in your truth in every area of my life."
"The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace." Psalm 29:11 AMP
True peace is strength to us. When we find our completeness in Jesus and we look to Him as our Prince of Peace, and we agree with Him, we can walk and live in all He says is true about us.
When we are trying to find peace, by making outward changes, trying to please others, or trying harder to be who we think we should be, all we will find is frustration.
When we agree with Jesus and all He says is truth about us, when we trust in His power, His grace and favor at work in our lives, then, we will walk in an undisturbed state of peace, the same peace Jesus walked in. When we walk in His shoes, there will be no situation, or person, that will leave us feeling defeated, because we will know we are complete in Christ.
The way to defeat the enemies lies, is by believing and standing in the Gospel of Peace.
It is by believing that you are hidden in Christ favored by God and man because of the righteousness Jesus has given you. This enables you to stand in our new identity, our new nature, our new shoes.
"And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace."
Ephesians 6:15 AMP
This gives new meaning to the phrase "Walk a mile in someone else's shoes." doesn't it?
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7 comments:
I would add trust to your list. Total trust in God (or "ruthless trust" as Manning calls it) really does result in lack of worry or concern because God is always there to help and will help.
Elizabeth - Absolutely, we cannot walk in peace without it.
"When we agree with Jesus and all He says is truth about us, when we trust in His power, His grace and favor at work in our lives, then, we will we walk in an undisturbed state of peace, the same peace Jesus walked in."
Daveda,
I really enjoyed all that is percolating in your heart regarding Peace, wonderful!
"When we walk in His shoes, there will be no situation, or person, that will leave us feeling defeated, because we will know we are complete in Christ."
Just a few thoughts on this thing of feeling defeated with re: to being "complete in Christ."
We have been and are perfectly completed in our spirit union with our Father, BUT, we are Being perfected, meaning, the emotional upheavals we face being fully His and yet sometimes so easily swayed by things is imo not an indication of our not being perfect, at least not in our spirit, but...the vast regions within our un-renewed soul that at best has only known a self-reliance is being confronted by the very root and source of all and any Peace we already have!
The Prince of Peace who is not threatened or intimidated by anything or anyone wants to further in us (within our soul) an all invasive invasion to lovingly corrupt us from within and exceedingly more so (where sin abounded, grace does super abound) than the total corruption that sin has done in our members.
He is the Root that is upholding us, He is the Vine and we are (metaphorically) the branches, but we think because we are swayed, moved, intimidated by whatever, that we have to do something, recite some Holy Ghost mantra or the like. He being our only source of Life is wanting us to bear that which He alone is able to produce, and in this case, a further transformation and renewing of our mind.
Living out of our spirit-union is that which we are learning is the unmoveable and secure foundation of all that we yet do not see or experience within our soul (mind will and emotions).
Excellent post Daveda! What is great about these shoes? One size fits all!! All feet can be properly fitted with these shoes at all times!! :)
I just read a post by a blogging friend that really goes along well with yours here today. She does not talk about "feet" :) but she describes how she applied Truth in her life to combat lies and found peace. If you want, you can visit her post here.
I am so glad you found some time to blog. I have been missing you here. :) How is the new job?
"Do not let your hearts be troubled"
Yes peace is a issue of the heart.. we experience peace when we trust in the Lord with all of our heart and when we do not lean on our own understanding.
I love how the spirit of truth and grace is always wanting to make real to and in us via an unfolding revelation of our Peace, as in the person of Christ, Christ in us the hope of glory, rather than some commodity he doles out!
The Answer...
By beginning to agree with what Jesus says is the truth about us
AMEN AMEN AMEN sis. This devotional was SO right on. I keep hearing the Holy Spirit speak to me lately about this,,,to TRULY walk in this peace, TRULY AGREE and walk in it!!
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