“A life of peace, purity, and refinement leads to a calm and untroubled old age.” -Cicero.
Inner peace is one of life's enigmas: the more vigorously it is pursued, the more elusive it becomes. Many spend their entire lives chasing after the next experience or achievement they believe will grant them the gift of personal peace, only to be disappointed once the initial high wears off. So how does one harness this feeling, and what are the best ways to live a stress-free life? I believe that the answers to those questions are best explored by coming to an understanding of one's identity through a relationship with their Creator.
The demands of our lives increase exponentially with every new technological leap, bringing along with them the side effects of stress and worry. I find that if I would mentally give myself over to the nagging worries that plague me, I would spend most of my waking moments under a burden of self-doubt and fear. Did I say the right thing in the meeting? Will I be able to please my boss? Am I good enough, smart enough, funny enough? Whenever I feel myself slipping into an unhealthy thought patterns, I go back to some advice bestowed upon me: Tell yourself the truth. The truth is that I am valued by a Creator who thought that I was important enough to breathe life into and to place in this world. The truth is that He has an eternal purpose for my life. Whenever I am unable to see past the daily stresses and anxieties of my life, I can find rest by looking at myself through His eyes. Going back to these fundamental truths, seeing myself through the eyes of a loving God, gives me perspective and peace.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” -Jesus
All attempts to achieve inner peace through outward means will be futile if the spiritual being, the inner core of one's soul, is neglected. The fascinating truth is that all of us were placed on this earth intentionally, and we are valuable to our Creator. No matter how busy and stressful my day is, no matter how insignificant I feel, meditating on this truth sustains me.
3 comments:
I struggle with this as well and have learned to keep the verse handy that talks about taking every thought captive. Part of it is stopping the thoughts from disrupting your calm before they drown out the quiet. Good insights, Sarah! It's a good reminder to remember just who exactly we are. Keep it coming.
It helped me when I found out that I was not the only one who had ever freaked out about little things. I think it's a day-to-day thing to believe that God has you where you are for a reason and that fact ALONE is enough to have peace in every situation. Obedience to Him in the small things of life (taking captive thoughts, trusting that He is in control, etc...) I believe is rewarded by peace among other things.
-S
I agree with Leigh and Steve---good writing, good insights and reality(worrying)---Tina is a worrier also---the one thought that helps me when I second guess stuff is that God allowed that comment, or has put me in a job that He thinks I can do, and He is in charge---He can take my stupidity and use it for good, which is amazing to me. He can work thru timing that seems to have taken things out of control, or at least out of the way I planned them to go. I am speaking to and of myself...always learning,..always tripping over myself (I almost wrote: stripping over myself---that's a word picture for you!!!) Bad Mama
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