Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. This message through song was brought by a friend during a recent worship service. Prior to singing, she reflected on what the song meant to her and why it was important. Thankfully, it only took seconds for God to prompt me to listen even more carefully and see how perfectly the words of this song related to the launch of peacefullyimperfect.net.
And then she said, “If we’re going to have peace on earth, then it begins with me. We cannot control what goes on in another part of the world. As a matter of fact, there are many things we have no control over. But if I’m going to do something about it or have some sort of impact, then it starts with me.” As I sat listening to those words I knew she was speaking more on a global level, but my heart kept telling me how important it was for us to find a personal peace. The words resonated with me because I kept thinking about peace and contentment found within each of us. To know that our lives should never be compared to others (and, that’s incredibly difficult with the world we live in) and that we are daughters of the King and must have a firm grip on who we are and what we believe about ourselves.
The key scripture this blog is based on is Isaiah 26:3—‘You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.’ When we commit our lives to Him, the way we look at things demonstrates an attitude that will be steady and sure. It’s not always our nature to see the positives because we are constantly bombarded with the negatives. It’s not always easy to see our way through all of the drama heaped on us daily.
It’s not always easy to combat the day-to-day stresses and hassles. But what we do have through it all is His perfect peace. It’s about giving up our human attempts to handle problems and challenges alone. It’s about coming to Him with our every need or concern and remaining steadfast. It’s about realizing that the world is not in charge of our lives, or who we are. And, to be honest, who wants that?
It is my hope that we make decisions that will bring peace and contentment to our lives; that we rid our hearts and minds of all the extra worldly stuff that tends to take up residence and steal our joy. So the next time a well meaning individual wants to clutter your heart and soul, take a step back, listen as He directs you, pray fervently, and move forward with clarity and conviction. A soul free of all the unnecessary baggage finds happiness, joy, and a peace that comes only from Him; what a great way to ‘lighten your load.’
I’m so thankful that our heavenly Father is in complete control and that by keeping our eyes on Him, we will find the strength and inner peace that only He provides.
Blessings to all and I’ll be praying for you.
Mitzi
This touches me personally and I have the need to share it with a family member in need of prayer and guidance from Him. I hope that I can get her to follow your blog. Thank you for doing such a great thing! This is very important to me. I have tried to follow other devotions and blogs but could not stay connected. Because we are great friends I know I can stay with this one. Thank you so much!
Mitzi, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your first blog post for “Peacefully Imperfect.” Thank you for reminding me to let go of my control issues and to focus on the only One that can give me true peace. My favorite quote is, ” worry is when fear meets faith and fear wins!”
Another great post.
Love you,
Robin
So perfectly stated, Mitzi. I am so thankful for that peace that only God can give, a “peace that passes understanding.” May God richly bless you in this endeavor. You may never know the extent of impact you are having on so many lives. You have been a blessing to me many, many times. Thank you.