L.I.P.

Stimulus….Bailout…Bankruptcy…War…Recession…Depression…
Foreclosure…Catastrophe…Loss…Unemployment…The Housing Market Collapse

These are just some of the “Buzz” words that I pulled from various headlines just today. It appears that the world is spinning out of control like Taz (the Tasmanian Devil) from the Looney Tunes cartoons. If you listen and believe everything you hear, you could almost compare the current world situation to being on a plane in which the pilot and co-pilot have had heart attacks and the plane is accelerating toward the ground and a deadly crash is imminent.

The pressures and the challenges that we face personally and collectively can seem overwhelming. We can easily get pulled in various directions by the cares of this world and these days…peace of mind seems so hard to find.

People are turning to all sorts of “temporary” fixes to “ease the pain”. Unfortunately some have even looked toward death as their only hope to find peace and to end their quest to find solutions to their problems. In doing so, they think that they will be able to “Rest in Peace”…but…

How can we live in peace???
Philippians 4:6-9 (The Message)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9Summing 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 realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
True peace can only come through a relationship with God. Knowing that God’s power is superior to any problem that we face can give us the confidence and blessed assurance that we need to turn our problems into praise.

The key is to be grounded. Too many people build their lives on weak foundations that are centered on their own strength, intellect and abilities. So when the storms of life (like the one we are currently experiencing) start to rage, they collapse. A person who is grounded through an eternal relationship with God, can withstand whatever comes his/her way for it is not his/her strength that is allowing him/her to stand.

You may be facing what seems like insurmountable challenges in you marriage, in various family relationships, in you career, in your finances, in your community, in your church…etc and you may be searching for peace. I urge you today to evaluate your relationship with God. Many of us have tried it our way and already know where that will lead us. We have sometimes been the architects of the plans that lead to self-demise.

Why not try it God’s way? Why not shift your focus from your problems to God’s solutions. By having God’s perspective or take on your life you can begin to see how the “challenges” you face are just a small piece of the Great Masterpiece that is “You”. When you have His perspective you can have joy through uncertain and desolate times for you know that everything is working together for your ultimate good as you seek to love God more and more each day.

Let today be the day that you find peace through your relationship with God.

May you L.I.P. (Live in Peace)

Be Blessed,
B