Today I Choose Peace...

Today I choose peace. Finding peace in knowing that my God will provide for all my needs and that his plan for my life is perfect.
Christmas is exactly one week away and when I think about Christmas one word that comes to my mind is peace. We hear "Peace on earth, goodwill to men", but what does it mean to really be at peace? We think about all of the times that our country has been at war versus at peace and wish that all of the men and women who so faithfully serve our country could be home for Christmas. But how often do we think about our own internal war, the war between being content with where God has us and our human nature that wants something more? Proverbs 14:30 says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." Are we people at peace with where God has us, with what he's given us and the plan he has for us?
I am a planner. I love to have a plan for my life and most mornings I wake up and think...."what's my plan for today?". I think there is something to be said for being organized and productive, but that all becomes a problem when my organization and planning gets in the way of what God has planned for me that day. There has to be a balance, I can get things done, but I must hold my plans loosely so that I can be sensitive to God's leading.
I think that we often equate feelings God's peace with a time of struggle. It's amazing to know that God can offer us peace beyond our understanding. I love the words of Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." But what about being at peace when life is good? Even when we aren't in a time of great struggle we still have to be at peace. We have to be content with where God has us at our certain stage of life, we have to trust him with our worries, big or small and we have to trust that if we are available He will use us.
I love reflecting back on my life and remembering the times that God has filled me with peace. Jesus tells us in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." This means that I don't have to worry or be afraid about anything. There are so many unknowns in life and we need to find peace in the fact that God has it all under control!
Right now I am struggling to be at peace with our current housing situation. We are so blessed to own a home in an area that is very expensive to buy. We have the best neighbors (because we got to pick them since we live in a duplex) and I love the neighborhood where we live. Last spring Kyle and I really felt like God was telling us it was time to move on to another home. It felt scary to leave what we have known, but we felt like it was the best decision for our family. So, we started to pray. We started to pray that God would take what felt like an impossible situation in a horrible housing market and that he would make it all work. All this to say, we are still in the process of waiting to leave. Things have come a long way since spring, but God hasn't moved us on yet. I find it hard to not think about what our new house could look like or where it will be. And when I allow myself to get too far into looking ahead, I begin to be ungrateful for where God has us now. I loose sight of peace and contentment and I find myself wanting to just skip ahead to the next part of life. I feel like God is saying, find peace in where I have you and don't miss out on opportunities to serve me where you are right now.
I love verses 1-5 in John chapter 5. I think they sum up what it means to choose peace in our lives. "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. and hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." It amazes me that I can find hope that does not disappoint in my God!
Today I am challenged to be at peace, to look for the lessons in life and to not miss the blessings that God has for me during each season of life; whether it be a good season or difficult season. I want to praise my God for knowing exactly what I need!
So today I choose peace.