His Gift of Peace

John 14:27 AMP Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

Humans have this habit of being drawn to the negative. What kind of news sells the most papers? The ugly, dirty, frightening news: the dirty laundry. We read about it, watch it, and dwell on it. We spread the gossip and speculate on outcomes. We worry, fret, and dread what we’ve seen and heard.

So, it is with our own lives.  We are more likely to take to heart the one small negative comment someone says to us, than the five compliments we received. We then turn that little nasty comment into self-talk, convincing ourselves it must be true.

What about our physical well-being? Have you been given some news that has frightened you? Is the prognosis ugly? Where is your mind taking you? The Lord has given us a gift. He has GIVEN us peace. He has bequeathed (handed-down) His own peace to you. WHAT A GIFT!

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled; neither let them be afraid.”  This is more of a command than a suggestion. We do not need to be troubled or afraid. Will you feel fear? Yes! You are human. But, when the fear comes immediately release it to the Lord. Determine to hand it to The One who can change your outcome. The Word says to stop allowing yourself the negative feelings. You cannot control the feelings that come over you. However, you can control whether or not you allow the feelings into your heart and mind. Stop them at the point of entry. Then choose to focus on the gift God has for you: PEACE.