Text- Isaiah 26:3 – “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee.”
We have heard of Peace Initiatives, Peace-keeping Missions, World Peace Prize and many other peace-oriented stuffs. There are countless of them that now exist. This is because one of the greatest desires of man is PEACE.
A lot of people go round cycles looking for perfect peace in life. Many have thought that money could buy them peace, but no sooner than they became affluent, it dawned on them that vanity upon vanity… all is vanity!
See, true wealth is not having millions in your bank account. True wealth is to have absolute peace of mind. Yesterday, we saw that the foundation of perfect peace is to have peace with God. Today, we will consider another leg on which perfect peace rests
2. BE AT PEACE WITH YOURSELF
If you have been around long enough, you probably have messed up a few times, so you have some regrets. You also probably have been let down by those you thought you could trust, so you have some disappointments. Again, you probably have faced issues that have proven stubborn, so you have had challenges too. Also in this world, we are faced with a lot of pressure every day. Students strive hard to have good grades; employees strive hard to satisfy their bosses; husbands want to please their wives; children want to make Mummy proud… there’s just so much pressure to perform!
But you see beloved, you must at all times be at peace with yourself no matter what seems to have gone wrong in your life, what seems to be going wrong right now, and what expectations you are striving to meet.
But then, the question is, “How can you be at peace with yourself? One principal thing to do is to let go of perfectionism. You must realize that you, as well as others, are humans and as such, cannot be perfect.
See, there are times that you will make mistakes, or not meet up with certain expectations. Don’t beat yourself up for those imperfections, but ensure that you are always making progress. Be gentle and nice on yourself.
Furthermore, make amends wherever possible for every mistake you have made… For instance, ask for forgiveness if you offend someone; go back and tell the truth when you have lied; sort out your differences rather than holding grudges etc. These will free you from ill-feelings and guilt and boosts your peace of mind.
In fact, don’t ignore anything that tampers with your inner peace. If anything happens that affects your peace of mind, address it immediately!
As you go out today beloved, remember that you have peace with God, so be at peace with yourself. Don’t let anyone or any situation mess with your peace of mind; it’s sincerely not worth it.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me peace. I rejoice in the peace that you have given me, and I chose to be at peace with myself henceforth. Let peace, like a river, flow continually in my soul.