Do You Anchor Your Soul In God’s Peace?

As we approach the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is very easy to get caught up in the busyness that comes with this time of year. It is easy to lose focus and fail to be really thankful for all of the blessings that God has brought into our lives. Ironically, we can become ungrateful due to all the preparations and responsibilities that the holidays can bring.  

I think we often violate the foundation that is needed in order to maintain a healthy perspective of thankfulness. Here is a scripture I recently used in a study on the book of Colossians that speaks very clearly about keeping the right attitude to cultivate steadfast thankfulness:

Colossians 3:15   

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 

The apostle Paul advises us to let the “PEACE” of Christ rule in our hearts. When you let an attitude rule your thinking, you don’t get sidetracked on lesser thoughts because you are “anchoring” your mind and heart in one direction. When choices arise in our everyday life we always reflect on the one main truth:  Am I “allowing” the peace of Christ to guide my thinking and acting? Now Paul doesn’t use the generic concept of peace to anchor us, but rather the specific peace of Jesus. This peace is a steadfast peace that doesn’t allow circumstances to dictate our heart or mind.  The peace of Jesus acts as an “umpire” that governs and controls our focus and direction in life.

Consider all the pressure Jesus encountered, yet he kept his focus so he didn’t get derailed in his thinking. His ability to remain focused regardless of the circumstances was rooted in his ability to rely on the Holy Spirit, like when he was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. He kept himself relying on the council of the Holy Spirit rather than his surrounding which included hunger, loneliness, frustration, etc. There are times that the Holy Spirit will take us into battle with demonic forces and we better be anchored in our soul with something more than wishful thinking. Many a saint has wrongly assumed that they were strong in their faith……only to be overcome by circumstances.

Matthew 4:1-3                                                                                                                                                                                           

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 

Our soul is so liable to get agitated by things that we are passionate about, good things, yet things that can rob us of our anchor in God’s peace. The peace of God will calm us down so we can think clearly and biblically.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3                                                                                                                                                                                     

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. [2] I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, [3] for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 

Being anchored in the peace of God cultivates thankfulness and gratitude. That state of mind encourages a measure of harmony between us and God and that makes us more stable in our decision-making. Consider Daniel in the Old Testament. Here is a guy that could serve faithfully in a secular pagan empire as a high official and not lose his faith in God or his reliance of Him. When he was betrayed by jealous co-workers he didn’t get caught up in anger or fear. He kept his anchor in the peace and love of God and thus God delivered him time and time again. The miraculous power of God does not normally work through unstable followers of Christ but through those who have trained their souls to be anchored in God’s peace.

Take, for instance, when Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den. A mortal man would have been so freaked out that his fear would have emboldened the lions to make a meal of him. Daniel, on the other hand, rested in his walk with God and the lions seemed to ignore him. What is amazing is even a pagan king expected Daniel to come out of this terrible circumstance because he had seen Daniel’s reliance on God in all his dealings with him.

Daniel 6:16                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” 

When secular people get to know a believer, do they witness the evidence of their soul being anchored in the peace of Christ or in worldly circumstances? I have to confess that there are times that the circumstances of life overpower my rest in God’s peace and, after I have lost my temper, I am confronted with my lack of trust in God by trusting in my own abilities.  When this happens, the best thing is to quickly admit your failure, ask for forgiveness and rest in the loving kindness of God.

Paul makes an amazing statement to his young student and spiritual son Timothy when he gives him advice about how to deal with stressful things while leading the church. The following passage is something I remind myself of regularly so I know when God is speaking or when circumstances are.

2 Timothy 1:7                                                                                                                                                                                                

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

The idea is God doesn’t create fear in our life but rather power, love, and self-control. When these three elements are working in our life we are solid and not overcome by lesser things.

1 Corinthians 14:33                                                                                                                                                                                     

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

When the peace of God rules in our lives it naturally produces thankfulness. It’s not something we have work up but rather it is a natural fruit of walking in the our reliance on the Spirit of God. If thankfulness is absent or in short supply, then the odds are that the peace of God is not our anchor.

Questions:

1) Are you allowing something to steal your peace? Jesus is the prince of peace, so seek Him first.

2) Are you anchoring yourself in God’s peace or just visiting? Visitors are fair-weather friends. Be a resident.

Pastor Dale