فصل 22

CHAPTER 22

Stay in Peace

Did you know that you can have peace even in the midst of difficult circumstances? Many people are trying to get rid of their problems, hoping they will then be happy; then they can start enjoying their lives. But God wants us to learn to have peace in the midst of the storms. He wants us to have peace even when things aren’t going our way—when your boss isn’t treating you right, you didn’t get the promotion you wanted, your child isn’t doing what he should. If we make the mistake of basing our peace on our circumstances, we’ll never experience God’s best, because something will always upset us. You’re never going to get rid of life’s little aggravations. You will never get to a point where you don’t have challenges or opportunities to get discouraged. We have to change our approach to life.

The Apostle Paul experienced all kinds of heartache. People had done unfair things to him, others had lied about him. Nevertheless, he said, “In spite of all these things, we are more than conquerors.” That’s the kind of attitude we need to have. Don’t use your faith to try to get rid of all your problems. Use your faith to remain calm in the midst of your problems.

Jesus was asleep on a small boat when suddenly a huge storm arose. The winds were fierce and strong, batting the boat back and forth. The disciples got all upset and were afraid. They finally said, “Jesus, please get up. We’re about to perish!” Jesus got up and simply spoke to the storm. He said, “Peace, be still.” Instantly, the wind subsided, and the Sea of Galilee turned to a glassy calm. The reason Jesus was able to bring peace to that situation was because He had peace inside Himself. He was in the storm, but He didn’t let the storm get in Him.

You may be upset and worried about some aspect of life. Perhaps you are concerned about your finances, or there’s a situation at work that is unjust or unfair, and you are letting that situation rile you on the inside. Day after day, it weighs on you, draining your joy, your energy, and your enthusiasm. You have let the storm get on the inside, and you need to make some changes.

You’ve got to change your approach and stop allowing those things to upset you. Instead, turn that situation over to God.

Understand that until you get to this place of peace, God can’t really work in your life the way He wants to, because God works where there is an attitude of faith and expectancy, not attitudes of unbelief, worry, despair, and discouragement. Every day you will have opportunities to lose your peace. Somebody may be rude to you on the phone. You want to jump right down their throat. Instead, say to yourself, “No, I’m going to stay at peace. I’m not going to allow him to upset me.”

One of the best ways that we can show God we are trusting Him is by simply remaining calm. When you get to that point where the storm is raging, people are treating you unfairly, or maybe you’ve received a bad report from the doctor, or you just lost your job, in the natural you should be discouraged; you should be upset, but instead, you have a smile on your face. You still have a spring in your step. You are at peace. What you’re really saying is, “God, I trust You. I know You are bigger than this sickness. I know You’re bigger than this marriage struggle. I know You are bigger than my enemies.”

Throughout Scripture, the person who truly trusts in God is compared to an eagle. The eagle has some pests, one of which is a crow. He’s always squawking, always causing the eagle trouble. The truth is we all have a few crows in our life. You may have an entire flock of them, along with a few chickens and turkeys, as well!

Certain people can rub us the wrong way; they can irritate us if we allow them. We need to take a lesson from the eagle instead. When the eagle is out flying, often a crow will come up right behind him and start to pester him, aggravating and annoying him. To get rid of his pest, the eagle simply stretches out his eight-foot wingspan and catches some of the thermal currents, and he rises up higher and higher. Eventually, he gets to an altitude where no other bird can live. The crow can’t even breathe up there. On rare occasions, eagles have been spotted at altitudes as high as 20,000 feet, nearly as high as a jet flies.

In the same manner, if you want to get rid of your pest, you need to rise higher. Don’t ever sink down to the opposition’s level. Don’t argue; don’t try to pay somebody back; don’t give them the cold shoulder. Be the bigger person. Overlook their faults. Walk in love and dare to bless even your enemies. In the long run, crows can’t compete with eagles.

Friend, you are an eagle. You’ve been made in the image of Almighty God. Learn to live above your circumstances. Rise above the petty politics at the office. Don’t let people pull you into strife and division and get you all upset or gossiping.

Make a decision today that you are going to enter into God’s rest. You’re not going to live worried anymore. You’re not going to let people steal your joy. You’re not going to give up on the dreams that God has placed in your heart. Perhaps you need to get a new perspective, a fresh outlook. Maybe you’ve been in a difficult situation for a long time. It just doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better. The storm is raging and you are discouraged. You need to do like that eagle and rise higher, above the circumstances.