God's Peace

Another day, another post. There are things that happen in life that are not anticipated or expected. It is those things that can cause us stress. I know for myself personally I tend to get worried when things are not going the way I planned or anticipated. But then I realize if I am worried then I am not trusting in God to take care of me. I am relying on myself. There is a book out called When People are Big and God is Small:Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man by Edward T. Welch. With this mentality, I am relying on myself and not God. Who is, in fact, the only one who will not let me down. Family, friends, and spouse are not perfect and will let me down but God is perfect and wants the best for me (Jeremiah 29:11). God is in control (a song by Twila Paris). We are to trust that promise. Trust and have contentment. We must make an active effort to be content. This does not come naturally. In Luke 3:14, John, the baptist, was telling the people how to act. John told the soldiers that questioned him to be content with their wages and not take more than was ordered by their commander. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul writes to the Macedonians and tells them that power is perfected in weakness and that he (Paul) is content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. What he is saying is through his weaknesses God makes him strong. In Philippians 4:11, Paul is speaking to the Jews and is telling them to rejoice (verse 4), do not be anxious (verse 6), and dwell on good things (verse 8) that you may receive God's peace (verse 9). In verse 11, Paul reminds them (the Macedonians) that he is not speaking of what he wants but from what he has learned. He has learned contentment in whatever circumstances come his way. In Hebrews 13:5, an unknown writer reminds us to "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said 'I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you.'" You and I can count on God to make us strong when we are weak, to receive his peace when we give up our anxiety to Him, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. We must trust and be content. Give God the glory for it is His and His alone.