Longing for peace? Go within

Living in peace is an intentional inward process. It is a decision you make and faithfully commit to. The lack of peace is often a sign of living a life of fear. In this world, there are so many things to be afraid of but there also as many things to inspire joy and peace; what you focus on is entirely your choice.

The Very Rev Martin Luboyera notes that essentially every situation that takes away our peace of mind boils down to wanting to take control of situations and people in our lives.

“Many of us are encouraged to plan for our lives and it is a great and wise thing to do. But we should also understand that all we can do is plan and execute; whether things go according to our plan is up to God. The best thing to remember is that God is in control and He often has even better plans for us,” Rev Luboyera says.

The instant gratification culture and the effect of social media have also complicated an already bad situation. People want to fast track everything in their lives. They want to have an instant family, career and success like the one they think other people have.
“The truth is this will always result in frustration because there is no human power that can make things progress faster than God wants them to. When we fail to realise this, we lose our peace of mind and invite all these negative emotions such as anger, fear, and envy to overwhelm us,” he says.

Quoting from the Bible, Rev Luboyera reminds because Jesus knew we would be faced with these challenges and that is why He gave us instructions on how to overcome them. In Philippians 4:8-9, He says; “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realised. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

Wisdom
The Rev Fr Evarist Mutambi, notes that having peace of mind is a sign of divine wisdom and a declaration of faith and obedience in the Almighty God. In Joshua 1:9 God says “I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go. And Deuteronomy 31:6-8 says ‘Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” 8 God is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry.”

Whenever we feel overwhelmed by fear, Fr Mutambi recommends meditating on the words of Jesus in John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

In his book The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zhukov, says the illusion that somehow there is something lacking or wrong with our lives is what makes life very difficult for us and everyone else.

“The illusion holds power over you when you are not able to remember that you are a powerful spirit that has taken on the physical experience for the purpose of learning. It has power over you when you are compelled by the wants and impulses and values of your own personality. It has power over you when you fear and hate and sorrow and fester in anger or strike out in rage.”

Take control
The good news is, every individual has the power to stop things from snowballing to uncontrollable proportions. When it feels like you are in free-fall, take a moment, close your eyes and affirm to yourself with these truths:

“My peace of mind doesn’t come from me. It comes from God. God knows how to handle every situation with more wisdom than I could fathom. When I place my trust in His hands, I know that He will provide for me. Even if money does not magically appear in my bank account, or my pain disappears instantly, I know He makes everything perfect in His timing.”

Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Whatever energy you create and release into the world will be reciprocated on all levels. Take care to create the most positive, beautiful and peaceful energy you can .

TIP…
Whenever we feel overwhelmed by fear, the Rev Fr Evarist Mutambi recommends meditating on the words of Jesus in John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”