How to be at peace with God in the day to day of everyday. In our fast-paced and often chaotic world, finding peace can feel like an elusive goal. We seek peace in our relationships and in our connection to God. How can we cultivate a deep and lasting peace with God amidst the demands and distractions of everyday life? Learn more in the message - Live at Peace with God in the day-to-day of everyday. We can find peace by using these strategies.
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TL/DW How to be at Peace with God in the day-to-day of everyday
When we talk about people being at peace with God, it’s usually that they are approaching death or have died. It’s a euphemism to say they know where they are going; they know the hope to which they have been called; they are at peace with the Lord; they know that to be absent from the body is to be present with Him and they know this world is not their home and they’ve been created to live forever with him.
All of that is true, but I’ve found I need to have peace with God in the day to day of everyday.
I can only argue with him for so long, before I agree He’s right and I’m not.
I can only tolerate sin in my life so long, because I know he won’t let sin master me.
I need to, as long as it depends on me, live at peace with all people because I know the horizontal relationship affects the vertical one and the vertical one affects the horizontal ones.
I need to forgive, I need to ask forgiveness, I need to make amends. I need to seek justice with mercy.
We’ll get to all that. But let’s start with what Peter wrote to the church in Asia minor.
Read 1 Peter 3:8-16 NLT Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Can I pray?
I know God is not finished with me yet. He wants to make me more and more and more like His son. I know I’m not there yet, but I know by the grace of God I am who and I am and his grace was not without effect.
We know we want peace. The world wants peace, it just doesn’t know how to get it. We know we need peace and God has given us they path to it.
We need peace with others and peace with ourselves, but ultimately we need peace with God and peace from God.
Problem -
Paul blessed the church in Thessalonica with:
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV
You and I need His peace at all times and in every situation. It doesn’t help if you sing “I’ve got peace like a river…” while your river is like this picture.
It’s toxic peace to deny the reality of the situation you’re in and claim you have peace from God when you don’t feel like peace at all.
We are told to seek peace and work to maintain it. We have a role to have peace at all times and in every situation.
What I’m trying to say we have the God of peace always with us. Will you be with him?
Will you trust him in the day-to-day of everyday so you can have peace at all times and in every situation?
We will have trouble
Jesus told us that in this world there will be trouble. All of us have things happen to us and around us. We all experience trouble.
Will that trouble make us bitter or make us better?
That depends on us.
It’s God’s plan to work everything together for the good of those who are called. It’s up to us to agree that’s what’s happening, even if we don’t see it. It’s up to us to trust Him and cast our cares upon him because we know He cares for us.
We need to be salt and light and be ready to give a reason for the hope we have with gentleness and respect. And for people to ask about your hope they have to first see your peace and joy.
Do people see your peace and joy? When they do, they’ll ask about your hope.
I’ve learned that anything that costs me my peace is too expensive.
So how do we stop giving up our peace? That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked.
I’ve come up with a tool.
IDENTIFY with the Peace of God
Let’s start with what the Bible say about peace.
We have peace with God…
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1
We have peace from God…
Jesus said, ““I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27
The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. Psalm 29:11
Because God is the God of peace…
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.1 Thessalonians 5:23
So, we will not IDENTIFY with peace until we trust God as our sole source of peace.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3
IDENTIFY with the Peace of God Tool 1 Peter 3:8-16
I - Ignore Offense v.8
D - Decide to Bless v.9
E - Enjoy God’s Blessings v.9b
N - Navigate Peace v.11
T - Turn Prayers into Exchanges v.12
I - Invest in Repentance v.12b
F - Forgive freely v. 13-14
Y - Yield to His Lordship V.15
I - Ignore Offense
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. v.8
Peter gives this advice in Chapter 4…
If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? 1 Peter 4:14-17
We can be offended at others, offended at God and offended at ourselves. I find I take more offence at others when I’m living offended at God. When we feel offended at ourselves for something we’ve confessed and repented of, it’s often the sin of unbelief. If I have confessed and repented of my sin, he is faithful and just to forgive me my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. “He can forgive me, but I refuse to forgive myself.” How silly does that sound?
In this world, you will be offended. Choose to be unoffendable. Ignore it. Put others needs ahead of your own.
Do I get offended at things that don’t offend God?
D - Decide to Bless
Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. v.9
Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Romans 12:14
You are blessed to be a blessing. You can’t do this without the help of Holy Spirit. If you want to be at peace with God, you need to be at peace with others. Remember it’s God will avenge, he will repay. (Romans 12:19) Your role is to bless those who curse you and pray for those who persecute you.
The act of praising God before the battle is won. We bless the Lord, even before the answer comes. It changes us to magnify God so that he’s bigger than our problem in our own estimation.
We bless those who curse us and we bless God before the answer comes. How about we bless ourselves by thinking of ourselves more like God thinks of us and less like how the enemy thinks of us?
When we are at peace with God, we are at peace with ourselves and at peace with others, as far as it depends on us.
Can I bless those who curse me?
E - Enjoy God’s Blessings
That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. v.9b
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Blessing of the Bible -
Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. I rejoice in your work like one who discovers a great treasure. I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions. I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. Psalm 119:161-165
Two things I want to point out with theses verses.
- We can never overestimate the role gratitude has for us to live at peace with God, peace with ourselves and as far as it depends on us, peace with everyone in the day-to-day of everyday. Gratitude is a game changer. Think about being thankful.
Never neglect to show your appreciation. - Learn or re-learn to love His word. When we love His instructions we have great peace and do not stumble. If you want to reignite your love for his instructions approach it with gratitude. Too often we approach it with legalism…I’m going to check that box on my reading list, often all you get is a check mark on your reading list. Approach his word with gratitude and you will learn or re-learn your love for his instructions.
Do you love His word? You’ll have great peace.
Do you obey His word? You’ll have gratitude to maintain His peace.
Is gratitude an attitude I work to maintain?
N - Navigate Peace
“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. v.11
If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, = peace with God
keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips = peace with others
Turn away from evil and do good = peace with yourself
We get peace when we trust in God (Isaiah 26:3 read) We get peace and hope and joy when we trust in God. (Romans 15:13 read) The peace of God lets us have peace with others and peace with ourselves.
Do I have peace with God, peace with others, and peace with myself?
T - Turn Prayers into Exchanges
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. v.12
casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 1 Peter 5:7 AMP
Prayers aligns our heart with God’s heart. If you leave your time of prayer with having God’s peace, there’s a good chance all you did was complain. Prayer is the place of exchange. I bring God my problems and he exchanges the with his peace.
Learn to cast your cares upon him, knowing he cares for you. If you don’t trust he cares for you you won’t cast your cares on him. When we trust him, we have peace. If you don’t have peace, ask yourself and Holy Spirit where you are not trusting him.
Do I exchange my problems for His peace?
I - Invest in Repentance
But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” v.12b
Sin separates us from our Holy God. He’s not offended by it because he’s offendable, he’s offended by sin because it hurts us and makes us less and less like His son.
He gives us the tools of Confession and repentance. Confession is agreeing with him what you did or didn’t do was a sin. Repentance is changing your mind and turning around and going in the opposite direction.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:8-9
Is there anything I need to confess?
F - Forgive freely
Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. v. 13-14
When bad things happen to us… and they will. Will we let those bad things make us bitter or will we learn to let God make us better?
Forgiveness is so key to be at peace with others, and with God and with ourselves. Don’t wait to forgive. It’s a choice. It’s an action to bless. It’s a feeling of peace when we forgive. If you think you’ve forgiven but you don’t have peace, we can help you have the peace that comes with forgiveness.
A big reason we don’t forgive is that we don’t trust God to avenge. We don’t trust God to make it right.
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15
Is there anyone I need to forgive?
Y - Yield to His Lordship
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. v.15-16
In your heart set apart Christ as Lord.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
It is not that we “make him” Lord of our lives, He IS Lord. We agree with all creation - before we bow in fear we bow in awe - and declare He IS Lord.
Is He Lord of everything in my life?
When you do these things, when you IDENTIFY with the Peace of God, people will ask you about the peace that you have. This world needs peace. Will you bring his peace to the day-to-day of your everyday?
Conclusion
I - Ignore Offense v.8
Do I get offended at things that don’t offend God?
D - Decide to Bless v.9
Can I bless those who curse me?
E - Enjoy God’s Blessings v.9b
Is gratitude an attitude I work to maintain?
N - Navigate Peace v.11
Do I have peace with God, peace with others, and peace with myself?
T - Turn Prayers into Exchanges v.12
Do I exchange my problems for His peace?
I - Invest in Repentance v.12b
Is there anything I need to confess?
F - Forgive freely v. 13-14
Is there anyone I need to forgive?
Y - Yield to His Lordship v.15-16
Is He Lord of everything in my life?
May you have His peace at all times and in every situation.
