Author: Dr. Mark D. Flattery 

Chapter Eight

Victory Action #5 Live in the Gospel of Peace

 

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you” (II Thessalonians 3:16).

 

Recently, a family was knocked to the canvass of life by the news that the wife had cancer. The doctors would do their best but, there was no guarantee whatsoever that their efforts would succeed. The news was shocking, stunning, and paralyzing. Immediately a flood of questions poured into their hearts as they tried to consider the implications of this news on them and their grown children. This couple had served the Lord for the entirety of their lives! They had given their lives in ministry and shared God’s love willingly and joyfully to everyone they encountered. Of all people to hear the dreaded word, “cancer” you have to wonder, “why them?” Truly, bad things happen to good people. Instead of allowing the debilitating news to determine their outlook on life, they turned to Jesus and discovered “the peace of God which transcends all understanding.”

 

I remember watching an American football game on TV one Sunday afternoon and seeing a wide receiver get hit by the defensive back so hard that the announcer thought he was knocked out. From the defensive player’s point of view, it was an amazing bone-jarring hit. The wide receiver probably had a different view as the play looked career threatening. The wide

receiver did get to his feet. His legs were wobbly and he looked like he was clueless as to where he was at that moment. After two steps, he lost his balance and crashed back to the turf. He was out … and out cold.

Immediately after receiving the news of your personal tragedy, you found yourself staggering, trying to gain understanding in the midst of chaos, and seeking desperately to regain control of your life. But, nothing seems to make sense anymore! Instead of enjoying a life put together strategically to your liking, suddenly the entirety of your existence is in jeopardy. And, the myriad of subsequent questions overwhelm you.

Most of the questions you encounter are reduced to one word: “WHY?” Why did I get fired from my job? Why did my spouse leave me? Why do I stand face to face with a deadly disease? Why me? It just does not make sense!

It is in this season of life that we are robbed of joy. We have no enjoyment in life. Nothing tastes good. The things that brought you pleasure previously are thing to which you are now numb. It seems that when we are at our weakness moment, our spiritual enemy, the devil, tries to capitalize on our turmoil. He stirs the chaos even more with the following temptations:

Doubt. As mentioned earlier, the devil manipulates us to doubt our relationship with the Lord. He whispers in our ears, “why did God allow this?”, “why doesn’t God stop this?”, “why doesn’t God heal you?” and even “why doesn’t God care about you?”

Isolation. A common response to being hit in the mouth by life for most people is to turn inward and seek isolation. Some are directed to do so due to shame, others by fear, and others do so because they feel out of control and need solitude to regroup. Being alone has merit, until it separates you from those who will bring you loving support, from those who will speak Truth into your life, and from those who will walk through the trial with you.

Anxiety. The enemy wants you to focus on the beating you endured rather than on the Answer. He wants you to characterize yourself as a victim instead of “fixing your eyes on Jesus.” A heart filled with anxiety has no room for peace and will therefore replace love with fear and hope with despair.

Seek Control. The conclusion many reach when their turmoil mixes doubt with isolation and anxiety is that they need to take control of their lives. Unfortunately, in doing so, they walk away from the Lord and believe the lie that life will be better if they alone make all the necessary decisions.

Hopefully, you are strong in the Lord enough to realize the temptations you encounter during your personal drama are not viable solutions. Thankfully, the Apostle Paul’s strategy to winning life’s battles includes “Victory Action #5 Live in Peace.” Peace brings order to chaos, control to situations that are out of control, and hope to despair. The question then becomes, “how do I find peace?!?”

The most direct answer to finding peace in your life is to get into the presence of God. Being in God’s presence changes everything! Ephesians 6:15 tells us that we can stand firm “with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” The normal reaction to being knocked down by the trials and temptations of life is called “fight or flight,” as we have discussed in earlier chapters. You either fight back immediately or you run away. In reality, both tactics cause you to respond in a way that our spiritual enemy wants you to respond. If you fight back then you are acting in a manner similar to that of the devil and you are probably doing so without an appropriate plan. If you run away then you may avoid your problems temporarily but, eventually the problems will return and do so with greater intensity.

If you have the Gospel of Peace in your heart then you are ready, not to fight or flee, but instead to stand firm and get in God’s presence. The Gospel of Peace, the Good News,” is that

you can stand firm knowing confidently that Jesus Christ is on your side and that He will fight your battles for you.

When I was eight years old, my family was traveling on a missions trip. Somehow, I became dehydrated and was hospitalized for a few days in Bangkok, Thailand. My memory of this event was that during the night, I was awakened by a nurse who had to put a needle in my arm for my IV. At that age, I was deadly afraid of needles and so this was a very traumatic for me, especially at night, with my parents in a hotel and me alone. What accentuated the problem as that the nurse could not readily find the vein in my arm. So, she poked my arm with her needle numerous times before finally being successful. Needless to say, it was a very, very long night for me. While I understood that I needed the IV and that the nurse was doing the best she could, I wanted to end this torture, to get out of that hospital and to be home with my family.

The next morning, the nurse woke me again for another round. Suddenly, my Mom and then my Dad entered the room! Immediately, the torture of the situation melted and my burden was lifted! My parents were with me and I knew that everything was going to be alright.

I still had to get the IV and need to stay in the hospital a while longer. So, my situation continued. But, what was the game-changer was that my parents were with me, they would support and defend me, and my world was back to order as it should be. Though I could not speak the nurse’s language, I remember giving her a look that said, “You are going to find my vein on the first try because my Mom is watching you!”

When God enters the room, you will discover comfort, promise, power, and understanding. He restores order, brings life to the dying, and takes control of all situations immediately. There was a song we sang in church that has this line: “And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Being in the presence of God returns you to your proper context. It reunites you with the One you with whom you were created to be in relationship. At the very core of how you are is the fact that you are created in the image of God and built to worship Him. This relationship is The Relationship; the one that matters most. When you were knocked to the canvass of life, you were then off-balance and out of sorts. No wonder you now deal with anxiety, fear, and doubt! The proper response then is to get back on your feet and find peace. Now, you are still in a battle for your outward circumstances did not change. However, inwardly, when you get into the presence of God you can find amazing peace that places you back into proper context.

King David lived a vibrant and passionate life that, at times, was very traumatic and full of turmoil. Yet, he understood the necessity and benefits of being in the presence of God when he wrote Psalm 23:

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

In the immediate, you will find peace by devoting time to getting away, turning off the noise around you, and getting into the presence of the Lord. Take the time to read the Bible, which is God’s Word to you, and meditate on it. I have found a great source of strength in reading Psalms and Isaiah during these times as I seem to identify readily with the heart-felt nature of these books. As you read, do not be in a hurry but allow the Truth of God’s Word to wash over your heart. Consider what the Lord is saying and talk with Him about your feelings and situation.

Often, when our lives our in turmoil, we want peace and we want it NOW! There may be times when you are in the presence of the Lord that solutions are not coming quickly enough for you. But, remember that being in God’s presence and waiting on the Lord means that you are doing something and this will prove to be fruitful.

As you consider you offensive tactics in the longer term, consider that the peace you need in these moments does not come on you suddenly. In fact, all the seeds you have sown to this point will reap a harvest. Remember what you have just done! You have addressed the defensive issues so that you will not be hit again and you have adopted the offensive strategy by putting on the armor of God. You have determined to stand firm. You declared that you will live in truth. You live purposely in righteousness. All these factors mixed together then will result with you discovering peace. This is not a manufactured peace that crumbles at the next whiff of conflict. This is true peace, a “peace of God which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), and defies human logic.

There are two offensive tactics that I want you to consider as you seek to apply Victory Action #5 Live in Peace. Both tactics are found in Philippians 4:4-7; “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The first action that you can take to live in peace is to rejoice. The truth is that no matter how dire, depressing, and damaging the situation is that stands before you, the road to peace is paved with praise. I know that when you have been hit so hard that it seems that you cannot breathe, finding the strength to praise the Lord seems like a daunting task. But, even if you can only muster one praise, such as “thank you that You are with me,” then you are on the road to

finding peace. So, why do you need to rejoice, especially in the midst of your worst nightmare? I submit the following reasons:

· Praise will get you into the presence of God.

· Praise will get you focused on who is most important in your life; God.

· Praise is for your benefit! When you praise, you are aligning your life properly and allowing God to be in control.

· Praise declares that you love God more than life itself. You are not allowing the circumstances of life to dictate your relationship with God. Instead, you are allowing God to dictate the circumstances of your life.

 

The truth is that you have an unlimited amount of reasons and example for which you can give praise. Here are examples of how you can praise the Lord daily:

· Praise God that He is in control. A verse that we refer to frequently is “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)..

· Praise God that He is always with you. You can apply the promise given to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

· Praise God that He loves you. If you were raised in church, as I was, then you will remember one of the very first verses you memorized, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only so that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God loves you so much that He created you and sent His Son to die for your sins and give you freedom. Jesus willingly obeyed the Father because of His love for Him and to show is love for you.

· Praise God that your life will get better! It is because God is in control and that He loves you that we can stand on Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

I hope that you get the point and that is you must praise the Lord every single day. This is a key step to living in peace.

 

The second action that you can take to live in peace is to avoid anxiety. The middle of the Philippians 4:4-7 passage states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Anxiety is not a characteristic of God. God is not the author of anxiety and therefore, whenever you feel anxious you can know that feeling is not from God. Reject anxiety and practice self-control. This exercise is a second key step to living in peace. Here are some examples of what you focus should be when you refuse to allow anxiety to grip your heart and rob your joy.

· I choose to fix my eyes on Jesus and not the situation. Jesus is with me!

· I choose my attitude based on who God is and not based on the circumstances (Habakkuk 3:16-19). The Sovereign Lord is my strength!

· I choose to live in the Truth of Jesus Christ and purpose to be righteous in my thoughts and actions. I reject the feelings of fear of the future, of lack of self-worth, and of uselessness. I live by God’s standard!

· I choose to turn over my offender to God and allow God to judge. I am freed from this bondage!

· I choose to trust in the Lord at all times. As it is written in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

· I choose to be content whatever the circumstance. The same chapter four in Philippians reveals Paul’s attitude to the problems of life. This attitude is a wonderful example to us as to how we should respond to life’s problems. In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul wrote, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

This last sentence in the passage is one that is quoted often, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” You hear it applied that God will give me strength to overcome overwhelming odds like winning the battle over cancer or climbing the highest mountain. Also, you hear it applied to everyday life situations like God will give me strength to deal with an obtuse person in my office. While God helps us through these situations, without a doubt, the context of God giving us strength is that Paul has learned to be content whatever the situation.

You might be thinking that I am crazy to suggest to you that you can learn to be content in this current chapter of your personal drama. But, finding Jesus in the midst of your storm, and then discovering the joy of praising Him for who He is, will release you from your personal prison and give you freedom to breathe again.

The third action that you can do to live in peace is to collect everything that is negative in your life and hand it over to Jesus. Our passage directs us to “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” We are going to discuss the importance and power of prayer in a subsequent chapter but for now, I implore you to stop carrying your heavy burden and give it over to Jesus. Trust Him. He can handle any, and all, of

your trials, disappointments, doubts, and fears. He is the One who will balance the scales of justice and bring you redemption.

What will happen when you reach out daily to God in praise, as you determine to reject anxiety, and as you give your burdens to Him? Our passage gives us the result: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Peace! Perfect peace. Peace that passes all understanding.

Peace will give you hope. Peace will give you confidence that your situation will change and that one day you will thrive again. Peace brings a sense of normalcy into your life and calms your heart and spirit.

When you live in the Gospel of Peace then you are fitted with the readiness to stand firm, and to move according to God’s plan for your live instead of being tossed chaotically on the waves of life’s storms. You can react confidently to life’s problems because of the One to whom you belong. You belong to Jesus! Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

 

 

For You to Consider

 

1. Identify how the following temptations impact your life right now, if at all: doubt, isolation, anxiety, and seeking control.

2. One avenue to peace is to rejoice. List ten praises that you should give to the Lord today.

3. A second response to temptation is to avoid anxiety. List two of the examples provided that you know you must do in order to find peace and tell what your action point will be in response.

4. In your mind, gather all that which is negative in your life and hand it over the Jesus. Pray John 14:27 as a personal prayer.

 

Scripture for You to Pray Today: Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

What is the Lord saying to you right now?