Living in Peace

[Sudsy]

This thread is open to everyone to give your thoughts regarding what it means or would mean to you to live in the 'peace of God which passes all understanding'. Philippians 4:7 -

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Share your thoughts and experiences and ways you go about pursuing this peace. What is most disturbing to your peace of mind ?

In the poll rate yourself in how well you believe you are doing living in a peaceful state of mind.

[MaxPC]

In my perspective it is less about actively pursuing and more about letting go: ceasing to try to control outcomes and letting God deal with the matters at hand. By entrusting all to God to sort it all brings peace.

[Sudsy]

In my perspective it is less about actively pursuing and more about letting go: ceasing to try to control outcomes and letting God deal with the matters at hand. By entrusting all to God to sort it all brings peace.

I agree. Well put !!!

This verse may seem to support being over weight but it contains some truth to keep in mind - Proverbs 28:25 -

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.

I like how the Benson commentary puts it -

He that is of a proud heart — High-minded, self-conceited, insolent, or ambitious; stirreth up strife — Because he is constantly endeavouring to advance and please himself, and hates and opposes all that stand in his way; and because he despises other men, is jealous of his own honour, and impatient of the least slight, affront, or injury; but he that putteth his trust in the Lord — Who is mean and vile in his own eyes, and therefore trusts not in himself, but in God only, making God’s will, and not his own, nor his passion, honour, or interest, the rule or end of his actions or pursuits, and who therefore can easily deny himself and yield to others, all which things are excellent means to prevent strife, and preserve and promote peace; shall be made fat — Shall live happily and comfortably, because he avoids that strife which makes men’s lives miserable.

[danfreed]

Thank you for this thread on peace.

Here's how I understand living in peace...

Living in peace is only possible because of my faith-based relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
I trust what Jesus did in His death, resurrection and present intercession in heaven at the Father's right hand. He is my peace.
His life blood forgives my sins, His resurrection power makes me alive to righteousness, and His Holy Spirit fills me with a new locus of control.

Peace is a result of the Holy Spirit living inside the believer and shows through in attitudes, actions and relationships.
I'm learning to live in this peace - peace with God, with myself and with others (including closest family, neighbors, and everyone else). It is a process, a journey for me.

Peace is a result of the Holy Spirit working in the believer's life.
(New Testament Bible English Standard Version Galatians 5:22-23 )
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..."

I have found the fruit of peace grows best in a garden of prayer and thanksgiving (praise).
Holy Spirit enabled prayer and praise make us grow in the grace of Jesus;
the results: more of Jesus = more love, joy, peace, patience, etc

The context around Philippians 4:7 highlights the spiritual disciplines of prayer and praise....
"Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
Finally, [a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]."
(Phil 4:6-8 Amplified Bible)

I highly recommend Jesus as the only Way to perfect peace.

[Sudsy]

Thank you for this thread on peace.

Here's how I understand living in peace...

Living in peace is only possible because of my faith-based relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
I trust what Jesus did in His death, resurrection and present intercession in heaven at the Father's right hand. He is my peace.
His life blood forgives my sins, His resurrection power makes me alive to righteousness, and His Holy Spirit fills me with a new locus of control.

Peace is a result of the Holy Spirit living inside the believer and shows through in attitudes, actions and relationships.
I'm learning to live in this peace - peace with God, with myself and with others (including closest family, neighbors, and everyone else). It is a process, a journey for me.

Peace is a result of the Holy Spirit working in the believer's life.
(New Testament Bible English Standard Version Galatians 5:22-23 )
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..."

I have found the fruit of peace grows best in a garden of prayer and thanksgiving (praise).
Holy Spirit enabled prayer and praise make us grow in the grace of Jesus;
the results: more of Jesus = more love, joy, peace, patience, etc

The context around Philippians 4:7 highlights the spiritual disciplines of prayer and praise....
"Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
Finally, [a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]."
(Phil 4:6-8 Amplified Bible)

I highly recommend Jesus as the only Way to perfect peace.

In your post I was especially admonished by what you posted about how the fruit of peace grows in us. In practical ways I am curious what everyone here is doing to 'let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts' as we read in Col 3:15. Unless someone has totally removed themselves from what is going on in this world in every way, we are confronted all day long with sources that will rob us of our peace, if we let it.

What are some things that rob us of our peace and how do you go about not allowing it to have this affect ? How do we keep our minds as Isaiah 26:3 says - 'You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!' In practical ways how do we do that ? I think the key word in this text is 'trust' and by trusting God, He will keep us in perfect peace.

[Sudsy]

To my own questions - one practical way of promoting living in peace is when we remind one another as MaxPC wrote - 'letting go: ceasing to try to control outcomes and letting God deal with the matters at hand. By entrusting all to God to sort it all brings peace.'

Seems to me this is a harder thing to do for some personalities more than it is for others. Some may see most things as issues we need to agree on and find solutions. However, I believe, many things are best taken to the Lord in prayer and not addressing them and trying to force a consensus by our own reasonings. As in these forums, although frustrating to those who care to pursue an answer to all events, sometimes walking away and leaving things with God is the right way to go. I believe the Holy Spirit will guide us as to when to 'let go' and 'let God' and will provide us with the answers we need to have.

For myself, I have often not walked away and let go of an issue and allowed conflict of ideas rob me of living in peace. Some threads are just not worth giving much thought to and some might think, this thread is an example. But for those who are interested, how do you go about maintaining a peace that the world doesn't have nor can it take away through all it's efforts ? What do you find is the most challenging to living in peace ?

[Sudsy]

I'm hoping someone might chose option 4 or 5 and share how they go about living in the peace of God that goes beyond all understanding. Perhaps they don't exist here on this forum as, to them, it is a place to flee from ?

[Josh]

I'm hoping someone might chose option 4 or 5 and share how they go about living in the peace of God that goes beyond all understanding. Perhaps they don't exist here on this forum as, to them, it is a place to flee from ?

I prefer not to try to intellectually discudd these sort of things with people who have a habit of attacking doctrines and practices I feel are foundational to genuine Christianity; no direct offence is intended, but it gets tiresome to argue with people who keep insisting that my church and me personally aren’t “born again”.

[Sudsy]

I'm hoping someone might chose option 4 or 5 and share how they go about living in the peace of God that goes beyond all understanding. Perhaps they don't exist here on this forum as, to them, it is a place to flee from ?

I prefer not to try to intellectually discudd these sort of things with people who have a habit of attacking doctrines and practices I feel are foundational to genuine Christianity; no direct offence is intended, but it gets tiresome to argue with people who keep insisting that my church and me personally aren’t “born again”.

Really ? I don't recall any entry on this forum of anyone regarding your salvation 'who keep insisting that my church and me personally aren’t “born again”'. Perhaps you could point me to some quote by someone who does this ? If people 'keep insisting' there must be more than one of these ?

When it comes to what is foundational to genuine Christianity, I'm going with what Paul wrote with regard to the the 'Gospel that saves us' found in 1 Cor 15. When this Gospel is truly received as a heart belief, we are 'born again' and enter into a life of peace with God and man that is beyond explaining. This thread is about our living in this peace as the scripture also says we can live out of step with the Spirit and not be experiencing this special peace that only believers can have. One song writer put it this way - 'O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer'. I know I don't take everything to God in prayer and this is likely the reason for that special peace I don't continually live in.

I was hoping to get some tips from anyone who has entered into this dimension of peace and what they are doing to live in that state of perfect peace.

[Josh]

In short, I'm trying to say that the near-constant refrain of challenging conservative Anabaptists as somehow not emphasising enough being born again, etc. means that part of living in peace ends up not being "debating" with such a person. I have an opportunity to enter such debates frequently, and I also frequently avoid entering them.

Living in peace is actually very important to conservative Anabaptist people.