How to Remove Peace-stealers

Thoughts, circumstances, and challenges can destroy our peace if we allow them to do so. Peace is a precious gift from God and needs careful nurturing. Consider the things that steal our peace:

• Comparing our appearance, personality, talents, accomplishments, or possessions with others

• Focusing on the faults of others

• Ignoring our own strengths

• Harboring thoughts of self-pity, shame, bitterness, or negativity

• Ingratitude

• Feeling that no one loves us or cares about us

• Believing that we are worthless, useless, unable to change, a product of our environment, or damaged

• Assuming that God does not know us, value us, love us, or cherish us

So, how to do eliminate the peace-stealers from our lives so that we can be peace-givers? We begin by centering our hearts and minds on our loving Father. As we study His words and become acquainted with Him through prayer and meditation, we discover that He loves us more than we can imagine and that He wants us to live in a spirit of peace, even when times are difficult.

Next, we allow God’s love to permeate the broken parts of our hearts. We give Him our guilt, shame, pain, bitterness, and burdens and allow Him to heal us. We ask for His forgiveness when we make mistakes. He ask for His help when we feel weak or overwhelmed. We seek to better understand His infinite love when we feel alone or afraid.

Finally, we remember to live with a spirit of gratitude and contentment. We focus of the blessings we enjoy and trust that God is carrying us each moment of our lives. As we savor the bounties of His love, we share that love with others—through our smiles, service, prayers, and loving thoughts.

Remember , Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Today, choose to enjoy the peace of God’s abundant love for you.

© Carol Brown

Creating a Peaceful Life

The thoughts that we choose are critical to our peace. We live is a culture that tends to destroy peace, so we need to carefully decide which thoughts we hold in our hearts. Consider which attitudes are most prevalent in our daily thinking.

Are we content with the gifts God has given us or are we dissatisfied with what we have or are? Do we compare ourselves to others--especially air-brushed magazine images? Do we feel the grass is greener in another's skin, house, or neighborhood?

Some of the happiest people in the world are those who have no media exposure and who find joy in family, community, and nature. Those who visit impoverished people in Africa are amazed at the happiness they observe among those who have so little.

Do we reverence God and His creations--including ourselves and others? As we take the time to observe the beauty around us, our spirits are lifted. Liv's blog (http://oneyearofbeauty.blogspot.com/) portrays the glory of everyday things and inspires me. As we are more aware of the wonders of nature that surround us, we experience greater serenity.

Enthusiasm makes such a difference in determining our peace of mind. Are we excited to be alive, to share the laughter of a child, to see a flower bloom? Do we celebrate our talents and the talents of others? Have we discovered the amazing abilities of every person we meet--including ourselves?

Holding thoughts of contentment, reverence, enthusiasm in our hearts creates peace of mind. What thoughts can you eliminate that may be destroying your peace? What thoughts can you choose today that will create serenity and joy?

© Carol Brown