Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Prov.4:23 (NKJV)
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil4:6&7(NKJV)
You need peace to make progress in your life. If you are not at peace, your mind will not be productive. It will be difficult to get great ideas that will move your life forward. You will just live to fulfill expected routines. This is applicable to every aspect of life including your spiritual journey. You need to live in peace to allow the Holy Spirit to express himself through you. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, the bible says you are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. What kind of place do you think he will like to stay? I am sure you will agree with me that he loves peace. Remember he is gentle, not forceful though always ready to guide you. If you make your life conducive for him, he will dwell with you, perform all his functions in you and through you and you will make progress spiritually. You should always do the following to prevent your peace from being stolen.
- Stop worrying. Worry will drain you of your energy and you will lose your peace. Instead of being distressed about solving that problem, commit it to God in prayers, he will give you an idea concerning the solution. Don’t consider anything too small to pray about. Be at peace with yourself, stop complaining about yourself or others, be thankful in all things.
- Have a positive attitude about everything in your life.
Life is full of several challenges if you don’t decide to be positive about your experiences; some of them will seek to crush you. No matter how terrible the situation looks, believe that something good will come out of it (Rom 8:28). If you don’t brace up concerning the negative things happening to you, you will lose your peace, you will lose the opportunity to get fresh ideas that will counteract the problem and you will not be able to move forward. In 1 Samuel 30: 1-6, David had lost his wives and children, the wives and children of his men of war and all their belongings; but he got up after some time of weeping and encouraged himself in the lord. As a result, he was able to recover all (18-19). Please stop being unhappy concerning that issue, believe that something good can come out of it. - Ensure that you have good relationships with others.
When you are at longer heads with people, you lose your peace and this will in turn affect your walk with God. If you want to live a successful Christian life, you want to be seeing God, experiencing times of refreshing often, then, follow peace with all men (Heb 12:14).The most important relationship in your life is your marriage and you must ensure this is peaceful all the time because that is the person you will spend most of your time with. If you are not married, make sure the person is born again and fears God or else your efforts at maintaining peace will be frustrated. If you are married, follow God’s prescription for the home and ensure your relationship is great. - Stop hurrying.
Almost everybody in our world today is hurrying to do almost everything. People have quiet time in a hurry, rush out of the house, rush into church and rush out to catch up with some other things. When you are in a hurry, you will not be able to enjoy your tasks. Moreover, hurrying makes you unpleasant and worn out. You find it more difficult to demonstrate patience and self control when you are rushing.Another major disadvantage of hurrying is missing out on what God plans to do. You can’t hurry God, he will come when he wants to come, he will do what he wants to do whenever he wants to do it. That great man of God, Benny Hinn said in one of his books that in a certain meeting one day, he asked the Holy Spirit to move and He and the whole congregation had to wait in silence worship for four (4) hours before the Holy Spirit began to perform miracles in several people’s lives. Learn to relax when you are in God’s presence, you will get better results.Moreover, when you are rushing, you are tensed up; therefore, even if God is trying to speak to you, your heart may not be able to receive it. Give your programmes better margins. Plan your time in such a way that you will not need to rush.
- Avoid Exhaustion.
You need to be careful of draining all your energy. Don’t keep working or moving around till there’s no energy left in you. Exhaustion may lead to feelings of depression and confusion; it can make you lose your peace, kindness, patience, self-control and other characteristics of the fruit of the spirit. It can even make you to forget who you are and what God wants to do in your life. Ministers need to be more careful of this than others. It can make your vision become blurred and you are wondering whether God really called you. Moreover when you minister from a state of stress & distress, it will not be very effective.Several decades ago, two ministers travelled for a conference in a certain city, Pastor A traveled in the normal cabin in the train while Pastor B paid for the luxurious cabin where he could rest and sleep well on the journey. On arrival, Pastor A was so fagged out that he couldn’t minister that night, he was just ready to sleep. When he told Pastor B, he replied that he was so fresh, that he could go to the podium and minister right away. While asking why Pastor B was rested and refreshed, Pastor A realized that he travelled in a luxurious cabin. He was really furious with him and tried to challenge him for wasting God’s money just to travel; but Pastor B made him realize that he is more important to God than any amount of money.You are more important to God than the money you are struggling to make and all the other things that make you weary. Take care of your body as an instrument that God can need any moment; it’s the temple of God, the carrier of the Holy Spirit and should always be prepared for every good work. 2Tim. 2:21.
- Avoid being too busy, don’t do more than assigned to you.
Being too busy is what leads to hurrying and exhaustion. When you are too busy, you will not be at peace with yourself and it becomes difficult to manifest the fruit of the spirit. For example tension will fizzle out love, joy, patience etc. Learn to say no to appointments that are not really meaningful to your life; don’t try to please people. Cancel appointments that are not must do. Drop the nice to dos. Many things and people will call for your attention but when you know your purpose in life, you will know the things you should focus on and drop the rest. - Avoid financial stress: Being in debt or not being able to pay one’s bills makes one to lose peace. It can distract you when praying or studying the word. Plan your life to live within your means. Always spend less that you earn. Trust God for great ideas that can generate money for you and learn more about financial freedom.
- Maintain your health.
When people have health problems it makes them lose their peace and thereby affect their spiritual progress. Learn to maintain your health by eating healthy diet (foods that will supply the nutrients your body needs without causing any harm), engaging in exercise (walk for at least 30 min at least 3 times a week), resting and sleeping well and practicing all other aspects of healthy Living. If you are healthy, it’s easier for you to worship and serve God.Remember your body is your passport for being here on earth. You need to maintain your health so that your body can carry you for a long time to fulfill your purpose.
Conclusion
As you consciously practice these things, you will have more peace, enjoy your life better and move forward in your spiritual journey. You will have more times of refreshing.
Refreshing manna is concerned about your whole being. We want to help you to be refreshed Spirit, Soul & body. We enjoin you to join us third Saturday of every month to learn more.