WHEN ALL YOU NEED IS PEACE

Janet Chester Bly

Copyright©2008

“So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11 NKJV)

Sometimes it’s not easy to be at peace. There’s days I fight anxiety, worry, concern…about what’s going on with my friends, my family, and my country. I'm just a fraidy cat. So many I talk to feel the same way. There’s chronic angst in the air.

Don’t keep your worries to yourself. Confide in a friend. Or seek a counselor. Sometimes what you blurt out to another human reveals the cause, hidden even from yourself, and maybe provides the cure for the turmoil in your heart. 

You’re a complex being. Underneath your knee-jerk responses run a string of personal stories. Established patterns. Voices from the past. What torments you today may spring from yesterday’s muddied messes. It’s always right to bare your soul to God. He yearns for your friendship, for your inner peace, that signifies your trust in him. He wants you to be able to sleep like a baby.

 
Study a peace model. Who’s the most peaceful, positive person you know? What’s one thing your most appreciate about him or her? Define what your admire and why. Is it something they do? Or say? The look on their face? How they respond to pressure? Whom do you admire that exudes serenity? What traits include them on your Really Cool Persons List?

I can find peace by thinking of someone with a calm lifestyle. I struggle to imitate them. Though there’s no way to be a perfect copy, I say, “What would she do in this situation?” That sets an exemplar tone for me. Good models do help.

Are you a model yourself (and not know it)? You may be more at peace than you believe. What do your friends and family appreciate most about you? Ponder this until you’ve hit upon some sure attributes. If you don’t know, ask them. Allow their affirmation to penetrate your mind and heart in both humble and fully satisfying ways. 

Finally, rest in God's peace. He who knows everything. . .the beginning, the end, what's behind the present commotion. . .insists that all will turn out well for those who love him (Romans 8:28). That's why after the lightning often comes the rainbow.

 The God of peace be with you today.

Taken from “31 Days To Personal Peace”. . .to download the full article, go to http://www.BlyBooks.com/articles.htm