A Spirit Of Peace

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

A mind at peace is a beautiful thing. It brings with it a kind of clarity — the ability to see the world around us with fresh eyes, to notice the beauty that still grows amongst the chaos.

Most of us, if not all, know what the opposite feels like: a mind at war with itself, where chaos and turmoil crowd out every other thought. It is exhausting. It can be soul-destroying, for the weight of a mind ruled by outside forces and devoid of hope becomes too heavy to carry.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Isaiah 40:29

In God, there is hope — and hope is where peace begins. That said, even for the child of God, peace doesn’t arrive at the click of our fingers. Though our spirit has been awakened and the Spirit of God now dwells within us, we are not immune to the pressures and voices of the world. Each day requires a choice – a choice to set our minds on the Spirit, and to surrender our thoughts, one by one, into His hands. Turmoil and distress will still encroach themselves upon us, but instead of swallowing us whole, they become something that the Spirit walks us through — guiding us, gently but surely, back into His peace.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

Without the hope and peace of God, turmoil, chaos and confusion reign, and sadly it is the reality in which many people live. If you have found hope in the Lord and know the peace of God in your life, then lift your voice in thankfulness to Him. And let me encourage you today to pray for those whose minds are experiencing distress that they would come to know this same peace that is found in Christ alone.

To live a spiritual life is to place your heart, your soul, and your mind under the governance of the Holy Spirit. It is only in surrendering to Him that we can know the fullness of life and peace.

Picture credit: Photo by Carolyn Dawson – Castlewellan Lake