SOME QUESTIONS TO ATTRACT PEACE IN YOUR HOME.
And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!” John 16:33 TPT
Acquiring peace can seem like an anomaly at times. Especially now, so many losing their jobs as we embark upon each day not knowing what comes next. I mean, when will this quarantine ever end and what will this next phase look like?
Most of us, if not all of us are experiencing what Jesus is talking about here in John, “troubles and sorrows.” We are in it 💯 percent. So, if you think following Jesus is a gravy train with biscuit wheels — it ain’t.
After looking at this verse, here’s some questions that come to my mind ALL THE F’N TIME.
If you don’t have peace — how do you get it?
How do you “rest” in Jesus?
How does Jesus expect you to be courageous in the midst of troubles and sorrows?
What does “courageous” look like?
Most of the time — I like knowing the RIGHT answer. This way, if I’m wrong — I know it and can then adapt to the right way.
But, this verse to me like much of the Bible reads more like this quote.
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. — George S. Patton
I don’t have answers to these above questions — but I will share some stuff that I do. Maybe some sharing will help show a way.
🖤 If I don’t have peace — what do I do?
I first check — “what am I listening to? Music affects me BIG TIME. I also check what sort of shows I’m watching 👀. Late night thrillers will MESS ME the F up.
These two areas when channeled correctly for me should promote peace rather than fear or worry. And, I want everything around me to be pumping peace. (Insert Peace Train by Cat Stevens)
How do you start your day?
Just yesterday I wrote about the attack on your attention — check it out here. If the first thing you look at is a bombardment of messaging from other people — you probably won’t have a peaceful outlook to your day.
Control the messaging around your life so you can control the mission of your life.
😴 How do you rest in Jesus?
How do you rest in life? Think about when you fall asleep at night. Are you worried about your bed, blankets or maybe bugs in your bed? Or, do you just dive in grab your pillows and sleep? For me, it’s the latter. I climb into bed and BAM — I’m out. I know my bed and pillows are there for me.
Pretty simple.
We can’t rest in Jesus if we don’t really know who He is or what He’s done for us. If we don’t know — then we will be worried AF.
“Right, but what do I do” … Sorry, forgot, let me give you an example.
To be fair, I don’t rest in Jesus as much as I should. To start, I think the whole “rest in Jesus” sounds like something my Gramma would say.
I would probably say something like, “rely on Jesus or just leave it with Him (Capital H).”
If I get worked up about something — It’s usually selfish — all about me. I know right away that I’m not “letting God do his thing.” Usually, I am trying to rush the process.
If there’s anything I’ve learned — it’s this: Fall in love with the process more than the prize.
🗣 How does Jesus expect you to be courageous in the midst of troubles and sorrows?
Use the tools God gave us to move forward. We know the Devil is after us — so I’ve got to be prepared. Check out Philippians and the armor of God. Use that 💩 — that’s what it’s for.
When things aren’t going my way, the biggest thing I know to do is KEEP MOVING FORWARD. When you’re going through Hell — don’t stop.
Being consistent for me is controlling the things I can control. Keep the joy in my home. Foster great attitudes in myself, my spouse and kids. Fill our minds and hearts with what God says about us.
Keep the vision of the prize around us. BECAUSE — God is for us — who can stand against us. It’s a lot of self talk to keep everything moving forward. Surround yourself with a “can-do” mentality and “can-do” people around you.
Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. — Zig Ziglar
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. — Helen Keller
You’re going to go through tough times — that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events. — Joel Osteen
