"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"...John 14:17
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We have great and precious promises given unto us by the Lord. He has given us true peace, not as the world offers, but a peace which will pass our own natural understanding. When we trust in God, we have a calm assurance that everything will be alright in Christ. If we depend on our own resources, we find unrest and stress, instead of peace.

Even when words or actions of others may disappoint us, we find peace in our blessed Lord. When we lean upon Him, we know we are standing on truth and a firm foundation. By His Spirit, we shall prevail, when we let Jesus be first in all things, and remain faithful to do His will.

One who is truly sold out to the Lord should not grow weary in well doing, but in due season shall reap their reward. God Himself will carry us as we bear one another's burdens, and let Him be our burden bearer. When we wait upon the Lord, we find our strength renewed and are promised "we shall mount up with wings as of eagles, run and not be weary, and shall walk and faint not." What wonderful peace we have, when we claim God's promises, put them into everyday practice, and teach others to do the same. Jesus will keep us in perfect peace, when our minds are stayed upon Him. Waiting upon the Lord brings blessings, as we let Him speak peace to our heart and life.

Paul Anderson teaches others how to avoid spiritual burnout by knowing who they are in Christ. "Burnout is a physical, mental, and emotional response to constant levels of high stress." We are to be anxious for nothing, but in all things give thanks unto the Lord, and depend on Him for our strength. It isn't that one does too much for God, as we see from the example of the disciples, but the problem is in not knowing who one is in Christ. We must rely on His strength, and not on our own power or might. We can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us.

Anderson says, "Almost paradoxically the problem of burn out is not confined to the secular world, among Christians many believers have felt the disillusionment with "religion" and many are weighed down by "spiritual burnout." In both constituencies the reason is the same, men and women both "lost" and "saved" have yet to discover the truth of who they really are. In the absence of this awareness, they are left to live out of their ' own ' resources. The inevitable consequences are: burnout and disillusionment. It isn't God's will for this to happen in a person's life, yet many have a wrong view of who God is and fail to recognize His peace and power which is available to them. We have been given a way to avoid stress in God's Word, and when we seek Him first and follow His ways, we find peace and a true zeal for God that burns brighter each day.

We are not to be as the world, but are to have a spiritual awareness of the resources of the Lord and know we can draw upon these resources at any time. The world does not have this peace, not can they know the blessed assurance of our Lord, until they receive Him in their own heart and lives. When we are spirit led, we will recognize the will of the Lord and seek to proclaim His truths to others. Only God's will and truth can set men free and help them live a victorious Christian life.

Jesus tells us not to let our heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. With all the wars and rumors of war in our world today, we are not certain what tomorrow will bring. However, we always know that whatever each new day holds in store, our Lord holds that day and has everything under control. We have no reason to be anxious, if our life is hid in Christ.

Our Lord went away to prepare a place for us, that where He is, we may be also one day. In our Father's house are many mansions. Just think, we have a mansion awaiting us in our heavenly home, prepared by the Lord, for those who are faithful and true.

If walls there were not jasper, gates were not pearl; and if streets were not pure gold, we'd still have a marvelous beauty to behold. But, we know the beauty described is real, and we shall behold it one day when we see our Lord, face to face, in all of His glory. What a day, wonderful day that will be, when we look upon the one who died for us, and who makes our life worth the living!

We give thanks today for the gift of peace. There is nothing like the peace of our Lord. Angels are watching over us and Jesus is walking with us. Life in the Lord is a blessing, which the Lord offers to all men. Our prayer is that the world might see the Master, and know He awaits for them to call upon His name. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with God's children. We have a high calling in Christ, and with His peace, we can share God's love with a lost and dying world.

Blessings In Christ,
Jo Ann Kelly © 2005
J. P.'s Inspirations
http://www.my.homewithgod.com/jpinspirations/