Eyes on Jesus

Part 4: Living with God's Peace

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Summary

In our life, there are times we struggle with fear. The worries and stress of this life can overwhelm us at different times and in various seasons. Yet, as we fix our Eyes on Jesus, what results is peace. God longs for us to experience His peace which surpasses all human understanding. Even in the storms of life, we can know for certain that God is our Rock and our Anchor. Where are you trying to find peace in your life today? Don’t just medicate yourself with temporary solutions. The only true peace comes from Jesus. He alone can bring us peace with God, peace with others, and peace with ourselves. Will you focus your Eyes on Jesus today?

Content
Do you want to start living with Peace?

"Man, life would be a lot better if I didn't have to deal with ________."

Fill in the blank with what comes to mind. Work? Marital struggles? A physical illness? A difficult family relationship? We all probably had something specific come to mind when we started thinking about the things that have been causing us worry, fear, or frustration recently.

Unfortunately, there isn't some grand solution that will make all of our fears or daily struggles simply go away. We live in a broken world filled with broken people, and until the day we go to meet the Lord, we will have to face our fears on a regular basis. However, we do have something that can help as we walk through life – and that is the peace of God. 

Peace brings us unity. It brings us freedom from fear. It brings us to a place of healthy trust in our Maker to be sovereign over all things, even our biggest, scariest fears. Peace is possible, and we can start moving towards finding that peace in our own lives as we look to Jesus.

What the Bible Says about Living with God’s Peace

Fear is a very common emotion for us as humans to feel. God created it for us, and in itself, it is not a bad emotion to feel; in fact, God uses it in our life to protect us at times. However, in our brokenness and sin nature, we can allow that fear to turn into anxiety and even doubt in God and in our faith at times. Yet, God’s Word tells us to not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6a). You read that correctly: don’t be anxious about anything! That means work, family issues, marital problems, busy schedules – we are to not be anxious about anything. 

So, what do we do instead of being anxious? In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6b). We pray, we petition God, and we thank Him, trusting Him to take care of our every need. Our anxiety cannot match the peace and the power of our awesome God, so we must bring our anxiety to Him and leave it at His feet. He alone will take it and turn it into something beautiful. In turn, we will receive the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). 

God desires for us to have peace, and it starts in our minds and our hearts. Through contentment, reasonable expectations, and thinking on the things of Christ, we can establish habits of peace that help to guard our hearts and minds from anxiety and what the Enemy wants to do with our anxiety.

Focus Your Eyes on Jesus

If you had to make a mental list of the top few things that make you anxious, what would those things be? Now, how many times this week have you prayed about those things? Friend, God does not want our lives to be defined by worry or anxiety. He desires for His children to have abundant life, a life that is free from the pressure that anxiety places on our hearts and minds. God’s peace is meant to protect us, to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

But, in order for us to give our anxiety to God, we must recognize what it is that causes anxiousness in our lives. For some of us it comes from a lack of control; for others it comes from relationship struggles or other various problems. No matter what it is for you, the remedy is always bringing it to God. It’s always prayer, recognizing God’s sovereignty, sharing with others, and learning to be thankful. It’s always about Jesus. 

Peace can be possible for you and for me – peace with God, others, and yourself. When we come to a place of trusting and fearing Christ, all of the things that have caused anxiety in our hearts fades because we come face-to-face with this truth: God holds all things together, and that includes us. Trust Him to do that in your life.

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