16Nov16

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Are you ever at peace? It takes a concentrated effort for me to sit and not be thinking about the next thing, about the upcoming requirements, about where the money will come from, or about how my kids are going to turn out. When I take the time and say to myself, "I will sit back, relax, and have some peace in my day" something invariably interrupts me, whether it my own thoughts or the world pressing in on me. Fear enters the picture. Fear that I won't have enough, be enough, say enough, corrupts my peace. The world says, "go here and have a nice 'peaceful' massage" or "hike to this peak and encounter peace." But, none of that is real. It doesn't last. It doesn't satisfy past the ability of my brain to shut off. And in the middle of all of this God says, "let ME bring you peace. Stop trying to manufacture what I give freely. Be content and let me be me." Faith allows us to live in that peace, to trust without fear, and to embrace joy in every moment. It just means lifting our eyes up and releasing our burdens. What is holding back God's peace in your life today?