Good Morning Friends,

I don’t usually mind Mondays… but this week I had a not-so-joyful Monday. To be honest, it really wasn’t that bad, or even that noticeable, but I felt pretty yucky on the inside. Monday evenings is usually when I write and prep blog posts, so when deciding what to post this week, I came across an old draft.

It was just the reminder I needed.

I wrote the majority of this post back in October. It was actually not intended to be a blog post – It was written for a devotional for a group of ladies. However, today seems to be a good day to share this… and I hope you will take it to heart. You and I can really experience true peace and joy…

The secret is found in HIM.

The Secret to Lasting Peace (and Joy)

Peace and joy. Two things I really desire to have… not just some of the time, but all the time. 

By nature, I have a tendency to be a fearful person. Several weeks ago I learned a lesson I will never forget. At this point I was feeling a bit scared and uneasy about the “unknown”. Something new had come up and there were various fears and concerns circling around in my mind and heart. The fears were beginning to overwhelm me and knew that I had to do something… I did not want to fears to control me. So, I began to write. I started out by talking to my Heavenly Father, writing out my thoughts on paper. Before long I began to write down the things I knew to be true about my God.  My list looked very much like this:

My God…

• Forgives fully and completely – (Shouldn’t I do the same?)
• Has removed my sin as far as the east is from the west
• Knows what is BEST for me
• Will keep me safe
• Is always faithful and true
• Will give me wisdom (James 1:5)
• Loves me with an everlasting love
• Is hiding me under the “shadow of his wings”
• Will supply ALL my needs
• Is all that I will ever need

As I continued to write, something began happening in my heart. The fears that felt so big began to shrink in size as I beheld the greatness of God. Not just any god, by my God. I felt His peace begin to fill my heart – and not only peace, but joy as well.

I had finally experienced the truth from Isaiah 26:3

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3

I learned a very important lesson that day… The secret to lasting peace is this: keeping our minds and hearts focused on the Lord.

It does’t take much for any of us to take our focus off the Lord… a negative comment, an interruption, a fussy child, lack of sleep, bad news, fears, or even a rainy day. All of these things can so quickly take our focus off of God and rob us of our peace and joy.

Whenever you are having a bad day, (or week, or month, or year!) carve out as much time as you can to get alone with the Lord and focus on HIM. Search His Word for the promises He has given. Write down the things you know HIS WORD says are true about Him. Talk to Him and cast all those little worries, cares and annoyances on Him.

God wants us to be full of joy and peace – HIS joy and peace. Even if we muster up some joy and peace on our own, it won’t be around for long. Only the joy and peace that comes from God will last.

So, the next time you and I find ourselves overwhelmed, stressed, worried, afraid, annoyed… (should I go on?) We must stop what we are doing to bring our thoughts back to the Lord. Even if we are unable to spend a long time in the Word and prayer, we can still redirect our thoughts back to God. Think on His grace, His provision, His forgiveness, His strength, His love, His faithfulness… Now I could really go on and on and on.. because our God is so good!

Once again, God wants us to be women whose hearts and lives are characterized with joy and peace. It’s not some impossible ideal – we really can live with full joy and peace by keeping our hearts and minds stayed on Him.

So take a break.

Focus your mind on the Lord and TRUST in HIM.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3

Share YOUR Thoughts

What little things steal your peace and joy? How can you refocus your mind and heart on the Lord throughout your day?

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas – share them in the comments!