Hunting Down Peace

Kathy Carlton Willis is simply a dynamo! She accomplishes more in one day than I do in a week. She may be challenged, but she knows where to go for peace. In this Peace UPGRADE, she explains how to hunt down peace when stresses and troubles come.

“As Christians," Kathy says, "we have a pretty good idea about the benefits of peace, but it’s time to put it into action."

I (Dawn) like what Kathy says about activating peace—it goes beyond a feeling. We need to pursue peace—to track it down!

Kathy continues . . .

The Bible shows us how peace can change us.

What would happen if we activated peace to make a difference in our own lives and in the world around us? I don’t think I could ever get enough of this kind of peace.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27 NLT).

When was the last time you looked at peace as a gift from Jesus? It’s a peace that soothes both the mind and the heart—He knows right where we need it!

Jesus lived on earth long enough to know that the world apart from Him does not offer this kind of peace. It’s like an exclusive bonus when we’re in a growing relationship with Him.

This gift will help us not be troubled or afraid. When we find ourselves feeling worried or fearful, we know what we have to do.

We need to hunt down peace!

And we know where to find it. So, it’s just a matter of receiving that gift He has lovingly prepared for us.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT).

Rather than waiting for peace to find you, I challenge you to hunt down peace and make it a living, breathing part of your life.

Here are some ways to do that, from Philippians 4:6–7.

1. Don’t worry about anything.

Easier said than done, but if you read the rest of this passage, it will tell you how it’s done.

2. Pray about everything.

If you haven’t prayed about it, do. And if you have prayed about it, pray some more. And if you have covered this thing you worry about in prayer, then pray for everything else.

This verse says we are to pray about everything.

3. Tell God what you need.

He knows it, but it helps you when you talk about it with Him.

When we tell God what we need, we put ourselves in a state of reliance, dependent on Him for the outcome.

4. Thank God for all he has done.

Take time in your prayer to do more than simply telling Him your needs.

Show gratitude for all the answered prayers and provisions you’ve previously received. Rehearse the blessings.

It blesses God when we appreciate what He has done for us. And it puts us in a better frame of mind.

5. Experience blow-your-mind peace when you do these things.

This peace doesn’t make sense, and we can’t humanly try to understand it or recreate it without God.

6. Live for Christ, and His peace will guard your heart and mind.

This peace is a gift, yes, but it will stay active as we devote every breath, every act, every choice to His service.

When we do that, His peace guards our hearts and minds. It guards against the things that attempt to destroy our peace, as well as Satan’s tactics to get us to not live for God.

Once we incorporate the principles of Philippians 4 into our lives, we’re ready to see peace permeate every part of our lives.

Here are some examples of action steps to experience more peace.

Action Steps to Peace

1. Seek healthful peace.

When we lack peace of mind, it affects our health.

God’s peace will give us a calm assurance, delivering rest to body, soul, and spirit.

When His peace envelops us, it becomes like a bulletproof vest.

Stress and worries don’t penetrate our peace.

2. Enjoy the peace of healthy relationships.

When you not only take on the traits of a peace-filled Christ-follower, but also become a peacemaker with others, you will find relationships grow and strengthen.

Peace helps you learn how to respond rather than react.

• Responding is acting based on pre-determined principles (for Christians, biblical foundations).
• Reacting is acting before thinking, based on how the circumstance makes you feel.

A peace-focused believer notices when tension is building in a situation and addresses potential conflicts before they harm relationships.

3. Embrace hope even in seemingly hopeless situations.

As you cling to hope, a stronger peace surfaces.

Hope and peace are natural heartmates. One influences the other. God’s peace feeds your hope, and hoping in God matures your peace.

Hope is an expectation for better things ahead. When you rest in that assurance, peace is your pillow.

4. Seek contentment in your current dissatisfaction.

You will never know God’s success if your primary focus pushes you to acquire more material belongings and accomplishments. God didn’t design us for that kind of perceived success.

But His peace will help you be content, no matter the conditions in your life.

Think of the circumstances your friends and loved ones are facing. How can you bring more peace to their lives to help alleviate their burdens?

Kathy Carlton Willis is God’s Grin Gal. She writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Over a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books in her Grin Gal brand. Today’s Upgrade with Dawn is inspired by Kathy’s latest Bible study, The Grin Gal’s Guide to Peace. Consider using one of Kathy’s books for your next small group or study. More information at www.kathycarltonwillis.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Joe Pohle at Unsplash.

Five Sure-Fire Joy Robbers

Kathy Carlton Willis is teaching me quite a bit about joy, because I've "watched" her choosing joy in some tough circumstances. In this Attitude UPGRADE, she shares some of her secrets!

“One fall season, we had an abundance of pecans in our yard,” Kathy said. “Mom and I picked up enough to share and plenty to keep over winter for baking. Still there were some left over, so we had a huge box of pecans sitting on our front porch.

"Then we noticed that all the pecans disappeared; only the empty box remained.”

Squirrels? Pecans? What's not to love? I (Dawn) am  always eager to hear how Kathy weaves a good story into biblical life application, and she doesn't disappoint here!

Kathy continues . . .

Who would dare come up on our porch and steal our pecans out from under us but not take the box?”

 The answer was right before our very eyes.

Squirrels, of course!

All winter long we noticed they seemed to be eating well, but we didn’t realize we were the ones feeding them.

This is a trivial example of being robbed, but I know people who were robbed of their possessions, and they felt so violated. Sometimes the person who robbed them was someone they knew; other times, complete strangers invaded their personal space and stole their belongings.

No matter the circumstances, being robbed attacks anyone’s sense of security. Being robbed of our joy is no different.

But we have control of our joy, unlike when possessions are taken from us.

When joy is stolen, it isn’t so the other party can possess our joy. No, when they do something that causes us to quit being joyful, it’s not as if they are now wearing our joy! They’re usually as unhappy as we are when they have placed us in a negative situation.

Why is it we allow others to steal our joy? Perhaps it’s not even their motive to see us lose our peace and gladness. But when we allow circumstances to push our buttons, our joy departs.

5 Sure-Fire Joy Robbers:

1. A loss 

2. Being Misunderstood

3. Being Betrayed 

4. Being Rejected

5. Worry & Doubt

The key is to realize no one has access to our joy control switch besides us.

When we feel robbed of joy we must admit—at some level we allowed it to happen.

Our source of joy is not in circumstances or other people, but in the peace of God, which passes all human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

It’s impossible to always be happy.

Bad things happen.

People trash our parade route!

Happiness is based on happenstance or circumstances.

But it’s possible to rejoice with joy that wells up from a God-space deep within us. And when it’s flowing, it naturally bubbles over onto others.

“So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy” (John 16:22 NLT).

Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had” (Lamentations 5:21 NLT).

In order to experience the abundance of joy, it’s important to deal with any burdens weighing you down.

Here are three specific steps you can take to prevent those joy-robbers.

1. Don’t be anxious. Instead, vent your worries and frustrations to the Lord. (Philippians 4:6)

2. Deal with situations as they surface—don’t let them accumulate. (Ephesians 4:25–27) Control jealousy and anger in healthy ways. Don’t let others push your buttons. (Proverbs 14:29–30).

3. Don’t let someone else engage you in a guilt trip. You don’t need the frequent flyer miles that go along with that sort of journey! (Romans 8:1)

The next time you feel robbed, evaluate your own attitudes. Are you fully relying on God or are you allowing circumstances to dictate your moods and emotions?

Which of these specific steps can help you prevent with your joy-robbers today?

Kathy Carlton Willis shines for God, reflecting His light as a speaker at writer's conferences and women's retreats, and as an author - contributing to three books and writing hundreds of columns and articles online and in print publications. She wrote Grin with Grace with AMG Publishers and has several books releasing over the next few years. She and her husband/pastor, Russ, live in Texas.

Squrrel Graphic adapted, image courtesy of rhamm at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.