I was looking for information on finding peace in life. I typed in “Finding Peace” in the search box on my computer and guess what I found? I found one website that offered 8 steps to peace, another 15 steps to inner peace and another one that had “40 simple steps to peace.” Somehow, “40 simple steps” seems to me like it would defeat the very thing I’m trying to accomplish!
I think I’ve found the answer. It is a matter of relying on God. Someone has said that the three keys to real peace are: fret not, faint not, fear not.
- Fret not–because God loves you (1 Jn. 4:16). God’s love for mankind is found on every page of the Bible. He either tells us He loves us or He does something to demonstrate His love for us. Even in the darkest period of Israel’s unfaithfulness, God was telling them how much He loved them. In the New Testament, we see God’s love demonstrated and fulfilled in Jesus. God’s love is constant and true. He never lets us forget that He loves us.
- Faint not–because God holds you (Ps. 139:10). When the arms hang down and the knees are weak, God holds us up. We may feel like giving up. We may feel that we are about to be overwhelmed. But, the promise of scripture is that God is holding us during those times and carries us through until we can rest and renew our strength. King David felt that, no matter where he was or what was going on, God would hold him and help him through his troubles.
- Fear not–because God keeps you (Ps. 121:5). In scripture, the idea of God keeping us is tied to Him guarding and protecting us. In this Psalm, we are reminded that God does not slumber nor does He sleep. He is constantly on guard to protect us from the devil, our enemies or the troubles that come in life. Peace comes when we fully realize that God is going to take care of us regardless of the threat.
If you believe in God’s providence, His wisdom, and His power, you can also have peace because you know that all things are in His hands. He does not wave these things in front of us to cause fear and distress. Instead, He demonstrates them to us as evidence of His caring concern for mankind. In other words, to give us peace. This is a lot easier than “40 steps” that don’t even mention His name!
Gary Knuckles is Minister of the Briensburg Church of Christ and lives in Benton, Ky.