I Need Peace
Philippians 4: 4-94 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
My Thoughts
The above verses are very important to me now because my heart is troubled and in need of peace.
They seem to tell me what I need to do to get the peace that will "transcend all understanding" from God...
1. rejoice... even when I feel like crying
2. be gentle... for God is near me
3. don't be anxious... it can't change anything
4. pray... only God can change the things we can't
5. give thanks... even for the things that troubled me
6. think correctly... to think of things that are:
true,
noble,
right,
pure,
lovely,
admirable,
excellent,
praiseworthy...
I need to do the above because "the way I think determines the way I feel". If I think of things that are opposite of those mentioned, I will surely feel troubled.
posted at 11/14/2005 01:00:00 AM |
Name: Bee
9 Comments:
I will pray for you to find peace.
Trust in God. Pray (I find rote prayer works best when my spirit is greatly troubled - though I don't know nearly as many as I should. Usually the Our Father and Apostles Creed, plus some hymns I know).
Take care and keep faith and God will bless you.
(Sorry, I have to run to my last marriage encounter course - I'll write more in about 14 hours or so).
Thank you very much, Richard, for your prayer support and encouragement. I feel touched.
I also pray that our good Lord will bless you and your family too.
Take care.
Thank you for your prayers.
Since I don't know what you are troubled about, I am wildly guessing that this verse might be helpful:
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
-Luke 10:38-42
As usual, I may have completely misundertood where you are coming from. sigh.
The difficulty lies not in doing good things, but in letting the Spirit work within us. Sometimes we think we must behave in a certain way, or that we must conform to a particular behaviour. Trying to force it, pretending to smile when we are not happy, will not help.
Unfortunately, in my life, I have seen many who have drifted away from their faith because they focussed on fulfilling others expectations rather than letting the Spirit move them in the Truth.
Do we ever fully achieve peace? I don't know. I used to be more peaceful when I was younger. The distractions of the world did not bother me. But years of struggling to pay bills, trying to advance, seeking security and the best for my children, my wife - these have taken a toll on my soul. The young boy who once sought nothing more than to sit at the feet of Truth, now has grown up and needs to make a living.
I cannot point you in the direction of Truth because I do not know where it is (I think I know where it is, but sometimes I feel I have journeyed alone for so long, that I may not have taken the right path). But I do share with you what I have experienced, what I have seen and what I believe in the hope that maybe you will find some seeds of Hope and Truth in them.
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
- Robert Burns, The Road Not Taken
Take care.
Thanks for your concern and sharing, Richard & Ken.
Yes, I think I also "took the one less traveled by". I need the peace that "surpasses all undertanding" which only God can give.
Though I might be struggling at the moment, I should be ok soon. For God is always merciful and faithful to me. He always do the impossible after I surrendered. *both hands up*
JF, thanks for reminding me on how Jesus calmed the sea.
Yes, I need Him to calm my 'troubled sea' too. I know He will do that when I give my all to Him and trust in Him.
In moment like this, I know He will carry me through my 'stormy sea'. He will not leave me nor forsake me.
Thank you, my friends, for your comforting words. You all have moved me to tears.
it's amazing to see how powerful simple words to others can be. They can bless or curse, encourage or discourage, hurt or heal, comfort or upset, tear down or build up.
Dear friends,
Yes, when I read all of your comments, your concern, your encouragement and comforting words, I couldn't help but cried again.
Thank you for being here when I needed a friend most. Thank you for your time. I really appreciate your kindness.
My emotion might swing high when I think about God, sing praises to Him or read the Bible; and low again when I think about the thing that troubles me. But I should be getting better and stronger soon as I pray.
Your presence does help me a lot too. May the Lord bless all of you and draw you closer to Him as you pray for me.
THANK YOU!
Goodnight n sweet dreams.
I am here, Bee.
welcome here, Stuart. :)
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