“And let the
peace of God
rule in your
hearts, to the
which also ye
are called in
one body; and be
ye thankful”
(Colossians
3:15, KJV).
I was reading
and came across
this verse in
the Bible. It is
so simple, yet
so powerful to
me. Let God rule
your hearts and
be thankful.
This sums up a
lot of things
for me. It got
me thinking
about what I am
and not at peace
with and what I
am thankful for
as well as where
my heart is on a
lot of different
things in my
life.
It made me
think of where
my heart is
today. Is it
really peaceful,
is it loving, is
my heart
thankful? I can
say it is most
of the time. I
feel the peace
of the Lord in
my heart, even
in times of
trouble. My
heart knows that
God is control
and I need not
worry about
anything. What I
know and what I
feel though are
sometimes at
odds with each
other.
I have a
tendency to get
stressed out
easily over the
little of things
and the biggest
of things. I
know I shouldn't
because I
recognize that
God is in
control, but
nonetheless I
do. I guess it
is a flaw of my
personality but
I’m working on
this aspect of
myself and
probably will
for a long time.
At the end of
the day, I do
feel the peace
of God that
rules my heart.
When it comes
to my salvation,
I have great
peace in my
heart. I know
that I’m saved.
I know I will go
to heaven with
my Lord and
Savior Jesus
Christ. I’m not
worried about
that. I think
that this is the
greatest thing
to have peace
about, to me at
least. Yet at
the same time I
sometimes don’t
feel peace about
the things
happening to me
in my daily life
and happenings
that are part of
everyday living.
The daily living
stuff is my
challenge. I’ll
discuss some of
the major things
I’m not at peace
with.
I worry about
my kids and what
is going on with
their lives and
their salvation.
I lack the peace
that I should
have regarding
their salvation
and how they
live their
lives. I don’t
know what is in
their hearts,
what is truly in
their hearts
regarding Jesus.
I know that they
know what to say
to me when I
talk to them
about Christ,
but what is
really in their
hearts, I cannot
discern very
well. I pray for
peace in my
heart that their
salvation is
secure and I’ll
be with them in
eternity.
I struggle
and worry with
what will happen
to my two oldest
kids who will
graduate this
year and how
they will
survive in the
world and the
worldly ways
away from our
home. Will they
slip and fall?
Will they turn
from the Lord
after being
introduced to
what the world
has to offer?
They are young
and will be
faced with real
world troubles
and temptations
that I recall
facing and
falling into
when I was their
age. I pray that
they hold fast
to the teachings
and examples my
wife and I have
shown them as
they grew-up.
I stress
about my job. As
a federal
worker, we are
faced with cuts
and layoffs and
furlough days.
We live well
below our means
thanks to God
and can weather
financial storms
well enough that
we won’t starve
or lose the roof
over our head,
but I still
stress about
that. I know I
should have
peace in my
heart from God
regarding this,
but as I said
before, I’m a
worrywart and am
not there yet. I
pray for the
peace of God to
know that I will
always be taken
care of (me and
my family).
I worry about
my health. I
have poor health
with a litany of
health problems.
I worry about
how my health
will
deteriorate, as
I grow older and
how long I will
live. I hope the
Rapture occurs
sooner than
later so I don’t
have to worry
about my health
anymore, but for
now, I’m not at
peace with my
health. I have
not come to
terms completely
with the
problems I have
and every time I
go to the
doctor, I seem
to get diagnosed
with yet another
problem. I try
my hardest to be
at peace with my
health problems
and to accept
that I have them
for a reason
unbeknownst to
me─that God has
allowed me to be
burdened with
these problems
for His purpose.
I pray for peace
of heart with my
health problems
and to allow God
to work with
them through me
to gain others
for Christ.
Enough of the
negatives: I
want to turn to
the positives
and what I’m
thankful for in
the peace of God
in my heart. My
thankfulness is
so much greater
than all my
worries and my
peace of heart
and thankfulness
out number my
lack of peace in
so many facets
of my life that
I cannot list
them all here
without boring
you to death; so
I’ll just talk
about the top
thankful things
in my mind
today.
First and
foremost I’m
thankful for
Jesus. What
Jesus did for
you and me on
the cross is the
most selfless
act. I’m so very
thankful for His
grace and
sacrifice on our
behalf so we can
spend eternity
with Him. His
selfless act is
the most
thankless gift,
which I am
thankful for. I
have peace in my
heart that He is
real and His act
of being a
sacrifice for us
is true. I give
praise to the
Lord!
I’m thankful
for grace.
Without grace
I’d be doomed.
Every day I seek
out and need
grace. I make
mistakes and
poor decisions
in my walk with
Jesus, but
through His
grace, I’m
forgiven and can
receive
forgiveness
daily. Without
grace I would be
a withered weed
with no hope of
salvation. I
thank the Lord
every day for
his grace and He
knows I need it
every day to
renew my
relationship
with Him─as I
walk on my path
of salvation.
Thank you Jesus
for your
promises.
Even though I
have poor
health, I’m
thankful that I
can still work
for the Lord.
Even though I
struggle with
coming to terms
with my
illnesses, I'm
thankful and
have peace in my
heart that God
has a plan for
me and it will
be revealed to
me in baby steps
or one day in
actualization of
a revelation. I
know I can
relate to others
with health
issues and can
use that
sympathy and
empathy to bring
people closer to
the Lord and to
help them in
their walk with
the Lord, that
no matter how
bad things may
be, peace of
heart can be
attained and
salvation can be
assured
regardless of
health.
I’m thankful
for my family
and my job. Even
though my kids
push me to the
edge of sanity,
I love them all
dearly and want
only what is
best for them.
They are truly a
reflection of
God’s grace, and
they challenge
me, unknowingly,
to work on my
walk with Jesus
so I can better
emulate the love
of God. In this
horrid economy,
I’m thankful
that I have a
good paying job
and I can
support my
family to ensure
all their needs
are met. Thank
you Jesus for
helping me be a
good father and
that I am
employed.
I’m thankful
for the Bible.
Without the Word
of God, I
wouldn’t have a
roadmap to
salvation. The
Bible gives me
revelations
every time I
read it that
helps me
understand the
Lord better and
to guide me on
my walk with
Jesus. The Bible
is my crutch,
which I use when
I need to get
closer to the
Lord, because
reading about
Him, His life,
His teaching,
and His
guidance, gives
me hope and
energizes and
inspires me in
my walk with
Him. Thank you
Jesus for your
words and
guidance as put
there by you for
me.
What about
you? Do you have
the peace of God
in your heart
and are you
thankful? Have
you ever
reflected on
your status of
peace and
thankfulness? If
you haven’t, try
it. It is a
great exercise
to see where you
stand on a
number of issues
in your life;
what you should
be thankful for
and what areas
of your life you
may need to work
on for the peace
of God and
thankfulness. I
know by thinking
and writing
about this I
have a lot of
work to do in
many facets of
my life, but
overall I have
an overarching
faith in my
peace with God
and being
thankful for Him
and what He has
and will do for
me.
If you don't
know the Lord,
you are lacking
in the peace He
can give you.
Having the peace
of God in your
heart is a great
feeling. You
will feel secure
and sure that
Jesus is real
and He wants you
for His own.
Your worries
will be lessened
and your
assurance in
eternity will be
strengthened.
How do you get
this peace, this
assurance in
your heart? To
get this you
need Jesus. You
need to accept
Him as your Lord
and Savior.
Jesus died
for you and me
by taking our
sins upon
Himself, so that
if we accept Him
as our Savior
(that He died
for our sins),
we can live in
heaven with Him
for all
eternity. I
believe everyone
wants to go to
heaven, and to
get there the
only way is
through Jesus
Christ. Please
accept Him. Time
is short. Every
day is a day
closer to you
meeting Him.
Learn all you
can about
walking with
Jesus and living
your life for
Him and through
Him.
God Bless.
john_lysaught@yahoo.com