Peace in our Purpose

The Lord has been doing quite a work in me lately.  I am a person who, in my flesh, has a besetting sin of anxiety.  Without the Lord I am a bundle of nerves, full of constant worry and fear.  So I am ever so very, very grateful for Jesus!  I can truly give HIM all of the glory for the peace that is in me, because there is NO way that I would have it on my own.  And I'm sure that is WHY that anxiety was allowed in my life...to show the glory of God.

Lately the peace has been amazing.  Why?  Because I let go of things.  I let go of...

worrying about what people think (I only answer to God)...

constantly second-guessing my decision to homeschool, and just simply following the Lord in what He's called me to do (He will enable me to do what He has called me to)....

wanting material things (we are not to lay up treasures on earth)...

wanting to control the number of children I have (this is not for me to decide)...I'm sure this is a controversial one but I am just telling you where God has brought ME...

wishing for a nicer house (compared to most of the rest of the world, I live in a mansion and I am truly rich)...

I have let go and let God.  Truly.  I am not in control.  I am here on this earth for His purposes. I am His vessel. I am here for whatever He may have me to do. 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20


It is so easy to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth without even realizing it.  Our culture is so full of it...he who dies with the most toys wins, right?  WRONG.  It is so sad the number of people who are so busy doing things that are not going to matter one bit in the end.

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.  If anyone's work which he has built on endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." 1 Corinthians 3:11-15


I'd like to go farther in that chapter because it is just so meaty, but I will stop there (for now).  Did you really grasp what those verses said?  Everything we do will be tested by fire, and everything will burn that is not of eternal value.  Everything we do should matter in eternity.  We need to be laying up treasures in HEAVEN.

How?  How do we lay up treasure in Heaven?  HOW have I found peace lately?  By simply keeping my eyes on Jesus.  As long as my eyes are fixed on HIM, my focus stays on eternity and following Jesus in everything I do.  This results in peace, and kills any anxiety that may want to creep in.  Anxiety comes when we focus on our circumstances, which means our eyes are on them instead of on Jesus where they need to be.  Here is a good illustration of that:

"And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  And He said, "come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him,  "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"" Matthew 14:25-31

WOW.  I have heard this story practically my whole life, but I have to say that this is my new favorite Bible story.  It is an amazing passage.  Peter walked on the water, as long as his eyes were on Jesus.  When did he become afraid?  When he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind (circumstances).  Wow.  That is when WE become afraid.  We take our focus OFF of Jesus, and instead we focus on: the fact that we don't have money...our kids are being disobedient...homeschooling is just so hard lately....there is so much work to do....I have yet another load of dishes to wash....the baby is fussy....the car is in the shop so I don't have transportation. This is anxiety...fear....worry....NOT peace.  Take your eyes off all of those things, and just look to the One who loves you and cares, and wants to carry your burdens.  That is how you find peace.  Keep your eyes on Him and He will show you the next thing to do, and then the next thing, and then the next.  There is incredible peace in following the will of God for you, and not looking to the right nor to the left.  That reminds me of a quick illustration.  When we were at the fair, I was usually walking behind the girls.  Annamarie had a phone, so I knew if I somehow lost track of her, I could call her.  Abby, however, does not have phone, so I was very vigilant about keeping my eyes on her.  As I walked through the fair, I thought of how the whole time I hardly looked to the right or the left, but looked straight ahead with my eyes on Abby.  Dove's eyes.  If you don't know, the phrase "dove's eyes" comes from the fact that doves don't have peripheral vision, but they can only look straight ahead.  That is how we are to be.  Eyes fixed on Jesus, looking neither to the right nor to the left.

What happens if we do take our eyes off him, and start to sink and  become afraid?  What happened with Peter?  I love this part.  He cried out to the Lord, saying "save me!", and the Bible says that, "immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of him."  What a beautiful illustration for our own lives!  When we become afraid and cry out to Jesus, he immediately reaches out his hand and takes hold of us!  What a comfort for us.  What a beautiful, precious Saviour we have!

"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

All I want when this life is over is for Jesus to say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  That is all I live for!  That is our purpose here on this earth...to keep our eyes on our Lord and do what He tells us to, and to be watching and ready when He returns.  This is where true peace lies.

(PHEW.  The Lord has been giving me this message bit by bit over the past several weeks!)