Where Does Ultimate Peace Come From?

 

Philippians 4:11-13

“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Learn

             It happens every now again, that anxious moment where I don’t know its happening until it's happened. The one where I am around someone or a group of friends and I say something or do something that haunts me days after. I act in a way that brings feelings of shame, in a way that I did not intend, or simply in an awkward way. I try to connect to others but maybe I am trying too hard.

            Anxious moments can happen as a result of feeling alone or experiencing rejection. I’ve learned that these moments don't happen spontaneously, there is always a reason, if not physical, it is most likely a moment of believing something that exasperates my insecurity. Most of the time I am believing a lie. When I take time to search my heart, God reveals what I am believing and what I am not. Taking my thoughts to the light of scripture I see myself for who I am. How satisfied in God I really am will be evident by the kind of response I have while feeling insecure. Do I attempt to fit the mold I think others will approve of or do I go to the word and be reminded of what actually matters? Our responses are the fruit we bear, the Lord says we will be known by our fruit (Luke 6). Our fruit also makes us known to ourselves.

               In order to uproot insecurity that robs my days of freedom, I must be aware of its home; my heart. Social anxiety is the fruit of a fear that lives within my heart. Most likely, fear of losing something; a friendship, reputation, positive self-image or approval etc. When my heart lacks knowing the kind of peace I have with God and what that means for me, I will hold on tight to my desires and “breakdown” when they are not met. In the end social anxiety has to do with my lack of contentment in the Lord first and foremost. These moments of anxiety in a group or with one other person, are resolved by not making sure I don’t do that something again but by experiencing contentment while being imperfect. Contentment in the Lord is the secure knowing that he is enough and is all satisfying, so everything he has and has not provided in my life is enough too. It’s hard to believe that there is a hope that I can hold on to that even the most disappointing moments in my social life don’t have to shake my peace and joy. Yet, I continue to preach to myself that in Christ this is possible.

Peace with God because of Jesus is the greatest thing we could ever understand in regard to our self-image. It teaches us of his love, his pursuit and his delight in us. When we know God’s approval for us, our desires for worldly approval grows dim. We can know God’s love beyond a Sunday sermon and a verse we read here and there but rather through a knowing that grows in depth by experiencing this love for ourselves.

Know /no/ - have developed a relationship with (someone) through meeting and spending time with them; be familiar or friendly with.

      Developing a relationship takes time and effort. The peace and love we are hoping will protect us from self-destructive insecurity is a peace and love from a person, Christ. To experience God’s love as most satisfying we first need to spend time knowing him.

Do

Begin moving towards contentment here….

How often have you experienced the following statements from God?

Circle the following descriptions that you have not experienced in the last 6 months

Feeling loved by God        

Joy in being forgiven            

Peace without having desires met

Feeling secure in Christ                                    

Feeling hopeful in Christ    

Let’s P R A Y. Speak to God over wanting to find peace instead of having anxiety. Of wanting to know deeply the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Study his word and spend time with him for a while. Begin to develop or rekindle intimacy with your Creator.

Recommended Reading

Ephesians 4, Philippians 2, Psalm 139, Psalm 23

How Do I Not Fear Death?

2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

LEARN

      I have always worried about death. I know I am not supposed to be anxious about death because I will be in heaven, but the question that concerns me is if I will make it to heaven at all! I have gone through times in my life where I look forward to resting in the word and growing in my relationship with Christ, but there have been many times where I have zero desire to pursue Christ. In the times where I feel a lack of desire for God I also begin to question whether I am one of God’s children and I begin to distance myself from Him out of shame. When I feel distant from God I can become a mindless person. I avoid my sin and place my efforts into anything that will distract me from such an overwhelming reality. I know this specific insecurity is not just unique to me, but something we all struggle with at some point of our faith.  This insecurity happens because we are sinners and we live in a fallen world where we easily disorder things that cause us to believe lies about the bible.

Take these three statements for example.

1. I am a sinner saved by grace through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8) 

2. Because of Jesus, God loves me and has forgiven all of my sins, and the sins I have yet to commit. (Romans 5:8)

3. I get to participate in Christ’s redeeming work and can be assured of my salvation. (Hebrews 3:14)

       It is so easy to forget truths about the bible when we fixate on one thing to the point that we lose sight of another and we begin to create false gospels. Using the examples above we can come up with many lies about how we earn salvation. When we believe our participation is what gives us our salvation and not Christ’s work in us, we will create a works based faith. When we believe God loves us, but don’t believe we are sinners in need of grace, we neglect the importance of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and our depravity. When we place our sin first and neglect God’s saving grace we will believe we will never be enough for God to love us. All of these statements are distorted realities about God. Realities God doesn’t want for us.  

       My fear of death and not going to heaven stems from thinking I have to earn my salvation, and at other times stems from taking for granted God’s love for me. Yes, we should test ourselves, we should be examining if we are in the faith because if we don’t our reality could be hell and that should cause us to worry, but we should examine ourselves in light of Christ redeeming us. If we don’t look at these simultaneously our disorder will continue to cause insecurity. When we allow our insecurities to dictate our beliefs instead of seeking the truth in the word we will continue down a path that will cause us to mindlessly fill our days with thoughts and tasks that ultimately do not matter.

       God desires for us to participate in his work and devote ourselves to him but not because we feel guilty or obligated. God desires us to devote ourselves to him and continue to persevere out of a spirit of gratefulness that even as sinners we are deeply loved and forgiven by a God whose steadfast love will never run out “but the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him” Psalm 103:17. Let us fear the greatness of the Lord and the one who conquered death instead of fearing death itself. Fearing death just leads to death, but fearing God leads to eternal life.    

KNOW

       Meditate on the words of this song and reflect on what you struggle to believe about the words. If you want to listen to it simultaneously you can check out this youtube video of the song as well. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=936BapRFHaQ

He Will Hold Me Fast
 

When I fear my faith will fail

Christ will hold me fast

When the tempter would prevail

He will hold me fast

I could never keep my hold

Through life's fearful path

For my love is often cold

He must hold me fast

[Chorus]

He will hold me fast

He will hold me fast

For my Savior loves me so

He will hold me fast

[Verse 2]

Those He saves are His delight

Christ will hold me fast

Precious in His holy sight

He will hold me fast

He'll not let my soul be lost

His promises shall last

Bought by Him at such a cost

He will hold me fast

[Chorus]

He will hold me fast

He will hold me fast

For my Savior loves me so

He will hold me fast

[Verse 3]

For my life He bled and died

Christ will hold me fast

Justice has been satisfied

He will hold me fast

Raised with Him to endless life

He will hold me fast

Till our faith is turned to sight

When He comes at last

[Chorus]

He will hold me fast

He will hold me fast

For my Savior loves me so

He will hold me fast

He will hold me fast

He will hold me fast

For my Savior loves me so

He will hold me fast

DO

       Go on a walk and look around at the common graces God has given you through your five senses. Acknowledge his love for you.

1. Breathe in the smells and thank God for the things you smell

2. Look around you and thank God for the things you see

3. Touch the plants, animals, flowers and thank God for the things you touch

4. Listen as you walk and thank God for the noises you hear

When you come home….

    5. Drink some water, taste the crispness and thank God for the things you taste

How do We Deal With our View of Self?

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Learn

    Light is illuminating, it makes things hidden in darkness visible. When Scripture is regarded as the “lamp to my feet” (Psalm 119:105) it is because of its divine power to make known to Christians what is of God and what is not, to help us discern what is keeping us in the dark. In our weakest moments or most consistent struggles, we can take comfort that by coming to the light of Scripture we can see all things rightly, and therefore know how to respond in a way that glorifies God. The way we see will determine the victory in our struggles.

    As women, one of the major things that seems to rule our emotions, thoughts and actions is  our view of self. Most of us who struggle with self image would describe it as an experience of having feelings of rejection, loneliness, self-hate and shame. We all crave to be content with our self but the path we take to find that fulfillment will determine if we are walking in the light of Scripture or in light of the world.

     The bible teaches that confidence is found in Christ, not in our self (Rom. 5:1), that true contentment is learned and comes from depending on Christ (2 Cor. 2:10) and that a fulfilling life is present in one who hides in Christ's finished work, not in gaining self affirmation from the world (Col. 3, Rom. 5:2). Ultimately, self-forgetfulness for Christs sake produces hope and peace that is supernatural (Rom. 5:1-5).This kind of self-forgetfulness is not one that causes us to lose touch with self-care, but one that strengthens us because of who we are in Christ and gives us motivation to care for our whole selves the way that Christ cares for us.     

     The good news of Christ is our catalyst for this kind of humility. In light of the Gospel, a person struggling with a positive self-image may experience only a glimpse of the position of lowliness we have in the face of a holy God. We are the sinners that deserve not only to feel rejection in the degree that we have but far more. Yet in Christ, we have been made into a new creation (2 Corinth. 5:17) accepted and loved while we are still sinners (Rom. 5:8). Being Children of God, the Lord declares over us in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession”, we are told that the image of the self is this, royalty because of Christ. The reality of who we are, is that we are Children of a king who adopts us into royalty. We are dearly loved (Eph. 5:1), a treasure that belongs to God forever (Psalm 48:14) and one that he delights in (Psalm 147:11). This is the hope from which to base our feelings of rejection from, this is the lense to see through as we are interpreting our self image.

    0ur cure begins with knowing how much we need a savior and committing from there to look to the cross. In trusting in Christ’s finished work we recognize that though we deserve rejection forever, he lavishes, riches of acceptance forevermore (Rom. 5:2). This is the image that we can hold in our heart, nurture with the Word and remind ourselves in the midst of self-hate. When our self-image fails to meet the expectations of the world, ourselves, or our community we can reaffirm our hearts that our hope lies in who we are in Christ. Our identity in Christ as his children will not change even when we fail, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself” (1 Tim. 2:13). God is faithful to extend grace as we seek to glorify Him. Praise God for the rest we can find in His promises, and a hope that is steady and sure!

Know

Grounding & Meditation print out recommended

Meditate on Scripture---->  Read each part of scripture from 1 Peter 2:9 as your breathe in and out, following the arrows with your finger for one minute increments (see fig. A).

1. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation

2. A people for his own possession,

3. That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Figure A

 

do

Arugula and Mushroom with Gluten-Free Quiche

Ingredients:

Gluten-free almond meal crust

• 2 cups almond meal or almond flour (I had better results with almond meal)

• 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• ⅓ cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon water

Arugula, Cremini mushroom and goat cheese filling

• 3 cups baby arugula, roughly chopped

• 1 ½ cups cleaned and sliced Cremini mushrooms

• Drizzle olive oil

• 6 large eggs

• ⅓ cup milk

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or 9″ pie pan with olive oil or cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, stir together the almond meal, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour in the olive oil and water and stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

2. Press the dough into your prepared skillet/pan until it is evenly dispersed across the bottom and at least 1 ¼ inch up the sides. Bake until the crust is lightly golden and firm to the touch, about 15 to 20 minutes.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan. Cook the mushrooms with a dash of salt, stirring often, until tender. Toss in the arugula and let it wilt, while stirring, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a plate to cool.

4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and red pepper. Stir in the goat cheese and the slightly cooled mushroom and arugula mixture.

5. Once the crust is done baking, pour in the egg mixture and bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch and cooked through. Let the quiche cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Serve immediately.

Recipe from------>.  https://cookieandkate.com/2013/arugula-and-cremini-quiche-with-gluten-free-almond-meal-crust/

Need Less and Love More

          For most of my life I acknowledged I had a desperate need for love. This intense longing for love led me to believe that it was a desire that had to be met in every relationship. I was convinced that my relationships would fulfill my craving for love. To have this desire met was only natural, maybe even righteous. I was tempted at times when a relationship did not fulfill this need to limit investing my time, effort, intention and emotions. When I was not given love the way I desired, I built a wall that determined how much of myself I was willing to give.

          I was continually affirmed in my belief, not only from my own broken logic, but in receiving worldly and christian counsel through a therapeutic gospel that emphasized my “felt needs” as God’s will for me. I remember learning from a Christian Counselor that I have a “love cup” that must be filled and when it is not filled, it will be easy to experience feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety and anger. I left feeling empowered to love myself, and be relationally closest to those that gave me the feeling I craved. Sooner or later when man failed me, when I failed me, I felt crushed and empty. I soon experienced the weight of the stronghold this love cup really was. It was as if I were a slave to man, my feelings and utterly controlled by what I would or would not receive from others. I was allowing my happiness to rest on the inconsistent love from the world around me rather than the unfailing love of God alone.

          But, there is a different Gospel, one that illuminates needs and wants for what they truly are. As I retrace the lines that I read on sacred pages, I can’t deny that a “love cup” is the farthest thing I read about in God’s will for us, His beloved. Through the lens of the Gospel, in light of Scripture, most apparent is a call of pouring out. Pouring out our love, significance, time, effort, and affection for others. What God’s word expresses is a call for his Children to love Him and love people by not only setting themselves aside but entering into self-forgetfulness.

Philippians 2:1-8 says this….

“….complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself..”

          The Gospel explains that those who follow Jesus don’t look to people to fill their emotional need but rather love them for the glory of God (2 Cor. 5:14 ). We do not love others as if to gain a feeling of love that will fulfill our desires but rather we are filled by God’s love and so are free to love as Christ loved us (1 John 2:5-6).

          In fact, as His love pours into our hearts we realize we are not love cups that need filling, but rather as Edward Welch says in When People are Big and God is Small, “Our goal is to love people more than need them. We are overflowing pitchers, not leaky cups”. God's love gives us a satisfaction that is divine. Our good Father, is the Creator of all that is pleasurable. As beloved children, we experience satisfaction in God by knowing His love, “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Eph. 3:14-19).

“Exchange your codependency on others for a dependency on God. ”

Mindfulness Activity: Renew your mind that you may be transformed (Romans 12:12 )

Know ------> Do

Pray:    

       Write a prayer of confession and desire. Express what behavior you want to “put off” in light of God’s word and pray for what you want to “put on” in light of the truth you know  (Ephesians 4:22-24). Read this prayer as often as you need to, as you seek to Glorify the Lord with your body & soul.

Meditate:   

-2 Corinthians 5:14 - For Christ’s, love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

-Ephesians 4:22-24- to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt though deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in the true righteousness and holiness.

-Romans 5:5 - and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

-1 John 2:5-6- But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him out to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The following sources were used: ESV Bible, When People are Big And God is Small by Edward T. Welch

How Do You Persevere in the Midst of Suffering?

Philippians 3:1-14

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—  though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  

 

learn

This text is such an important reminder of God’s grace in our weakness. Even in the first two lines we see Paul acknowledging how quick the Philippians (and all of us) are to forget, and how patient the Lord is in providing for us an abundance of ways to understand the truth of the gospel. It is a good thing he does this because this section of scripture is full of important concepts Paul is trying to address to Christians.

Here are 6 powerful statements Paul is making to the Philippians through the text.

1. Be wary of legalism.

2. Don’t underestimate God and overestimate your own abilities.

3. Believe in the sufficiency of the cross and the new covenant.

4. Our blamelessness is not enough to save us, but God’s grace in Christ alone is.

5. It is through Jesus that we can be assured of our resurrection that is to come, and until we are, he has given us the Holy Spirit to resist temptation on earth.

6. Press on in service to Christ until that final day.

So why are these statements significant for us to acknowledge as Christians living on earth?

Understanding these statements not only allows us to have freedom through Christ, it also gives us hope to move throughout life even when we might be experiencing more downs than ups. The beauty of Christ’s resurrection allows for us to no longer be bound by the law of the old testament. We no longer see the law as a way to work for our salvation, which is good news as we would all fall short. It is through Christ that we are given the freedom to be cleansed and strive for holiness not to make up for our sins, but to thank God for his grace to us because there is nothing we can add or need to add to our faith to make us acceptable to God. All we have to do is turn from sin and rest in Christ as our only hope in life and in death.

If we can actually believe that God is sufficient in our weakness, we can look to him in the midst of pain and where we fall short and continue on. We are shown that Jesus has already won the race for us when he conquered death to repay our sins. We are able to run the race with perseverance knowing Jesus has come before us and promises us victory in the end. As we are still running the race, there will be times where we catch a second wind and other times where we fall and get the wind knocked out of us and become discouraged- but we can have hope in knowing our perseverance will allow us to see the victory when we do finish the race He has marked out for us.   

know

Picture yourself actually running this race and envision Jesus at the end rooting you on. Set this as a daily picture engraved in your mind when you are struggling, or losing sight of the goal, and also as a way to be grateful for the support and love you have as you run the race. The more we can focus on Jesus, the less hopeless, frustrated, and anxious we will be.  

In prayer, ask the Lord to sustain your commitment to Him and strengthen you for the daily race  ahead.

do

As we run the race, we need sufficient fuel to continue the journey. Here is my favorite quick, healthy and easy Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe.

Chicken Pineapple Cauliflower Fried Rice  

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots (I used baby carrots to save time)

1 cup chopped celery

5 broiled chicken thighs or 2 chicken breasts, chopped

2 cups chopped pineapple

I bag cauliflower fried rice (Trader Joes frozen riced cauliflower is best)

1½ tablespoon soy sauce (or alternative)

2 tbsp pineapple juice

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs (omit if desired)

Instructions

1. Heat up a frying pan or wok on medium high heat (about 5 minutes).

2. Add olive oil, minced garlic and chopped onion, saute until fragrant (1 minute).

3. Add chopped carrots, chicken, and pineapple, saute until the carrots are softened (5 minutes).

4. Add the cauliflower rice, add more oil if needed to get a more fried consistency.

5. Add soy sauce and pineapple juice to stir fry until everything is heated through (3 minutes).

6. Crack 1 - 2 eggs in center of wok, stir egg, and then mix to incorporate after cooked. (1min)

7. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve immediately.

*Tip: Cut the pineapple in half long ways, gut out pineapple inside and serve the food in the pineapple as the bowls.
(3-4 servings)