Are you struggling to find the true peace of God?
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18
God’s perfect love leads us to perfect peace. But in order to walk in that peace, we have to remove the things that stand in the way. Once we do, we become more grounded, rooted in truth, and we believe every promise of God because we’ve experienced His faithfulness for ourselves.
And this process produces a peace like you’ve never experienced before.
Here are seven things that are hindering the peace of God in your life.
1. You find your worth in something or someone else instead of God.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
Ephesians 2:10
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
When I suddenly found myself at a job where I wasn’t appreciated, I began to crumble. People had praised me for my work ethic and management skills all throughout my career. But at this job, instead of praise, I received reprimand after reprimand.
God had to teach me how to be comfortable failing in front of others. And as a people pleaser, I had to learn to find my satisfaction and joy in His love for me, just as I am.
When I surrendered my desire to show my boss my worth, and gave the situation to God in prayer, I was able to relax and find peace in my work.
God loves you completely just as you are, regardless of your gifts and talents. He loves you for what He’s placed inside of you. He loves you for who He’s made you to be. You can rest in Him. You can rest and know that Jesus completely loves and accepts you just as you are right now.
There’s no need to strive or try to be anything but His child.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139:14
2. You’re not fully convinced of your salvation, and you’re not sure if you’re doing enough for God.
I remember wanting to hear from God. And when I did, I got anxious because I was unsure of who I was listening to. Was it my own voice, the enemy’s or God’s?
I soon became afraid to make a move, asking God for permission for every little thing I wanted to do; constantly worrying about getting it right. I was being robbed of my peace by my desire to please God!
What I failed to see is that this is a journey of faith.
We don’t have to have every question answered one hundred percent, or follow Jesus perfectly in order to walk in peace. Jesus is faithful to finish the good work He began in us. Our job is just to let Him.
The Lord will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:8–9
Are you unsure of your salvation, and always afraid that you will lose it?
Does it help to know that you didn’t choose Him, He chose you? Before He laid the foundation of the world, you were already chosen.
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love.
Ephesians 1:4
God is faithful to keep you. You just focus on growing in your knowledge of Him and staying surrendered.
3. You’ve suffered a bitter disappointment that left you questioning God’s faithfulness.
I remember standing in my bedroom a few years ago, listening to someone give their testimony on how God healed them. All of a sudden, I got upset and turned the video off.
I had been dealing with GERD, digestive issues, pain and inflammation for years. I’ve prayed and cried, have been prayed over many times and anointed with oil. No change.
So in my bedroom that day, I just couldn’t celebrate anymore.
I had grown bitter.
What I didn’t understand was that Jesus died to restore what was lost, not to keep me comfortable in my brokenness.
In this broken world, there’s opportunity for bitterness around every corner. The good news is not that Jesus will take away that thing that’s causing you bitterness, but that He’s already made a way for you to trust Him and have peace in the midst of it.
If He would have just healed me right then and there, which He is willing and able, I would still be battling emotional eating, and running to food anytime I got anxious, nervous, or bored. I would have gained weight instead of losing it, because I’d still be craving everything, and food would have continued to be an idol. I’d still be going to food for comfort instead of God.
But as I’ve trusted in His healing process, I’ve lost 30 pounds, I’ve stopped emotional eating, and I feel so great. I haven’t felt this good since I was a kid. I still can’t eat certain foods, but the foods that I can are nourishing my body.
God is far more interested in growing your endurance, faith and character, because only then can you walk in peace when trials and tribulations come. He wants the best for you, and He alone gets the glory when you’re healed, delivered and set free.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3
4. You have unchecked fear in your life.
I prayed to the Lord and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4
Perfect love expels all fear. But walking with a fearful mindset blinds us to His love and peace.
I had my first panic attack in 2011 after eating a greasy hot dog then going to sleep. I woke up around 3am, heart pounding and adrenaline rushing. Panicking, I jumped up and headed to my sister’s house, but on the way I began to feel like my body was sinking. Surely I was having a heart attack.
I didn’t quite make it to my sister’s house and stopped at the first place I saw that was still open; a strip club. The folks there called 911, and the paramedics determined it was a panic attack and prescribed Xanax.
That year, I called the ambulance over and over again, so sure I was sure I was having a heart attack every time.
That season of my life passed, but about five years ago, the anxiety became so strong again. I was stressed at work, eating poorly and found myself back in the emergency room time and time again.
It got to the point where I started thinking things like, what if my heart just stops beating? My mom had congestive heart failure in her fifties, am I heading down that road? I just didn’t want to have to go through the suffering that she went through.
And all the nervous energy produced the oddest sensations in my body.
I was living in fear, but God desired to set me free. So when fear reached it’s scariest point for me, of which I’m still recovering, I began to seek God’s deliverance with my whole heart.
This world can be a fearful place, but there’s no reason for us as believers to remain under the influence of fear.
Fear comes from an inadequate view of God. Because the less we know about God, the more we have to fear. If we’re not filling our hearts with God’s truth, then all of our knowledge and wisdom comes from this worldly system. And it’s no wonder we are walking in fear.
But God has not given us a spirit of fear, or left us defenseless against it.
2 Timothy 1:7 tells us God has given us power, love and a sound mind. We’re not helpless and defenseless. God has given us everything we need to overcome. Jesus paid the price for our freedom from sin, guilt, shame, fear, depression, and the like.
I’d love to share with you my Restful Toolkit, which includes my 7 day devotional workbook: Eliminating the Roadblocks to God’s Peace. It’s yours free when you subscribe to Restful Faith.
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5. You follow your own will for your life, and not God’s.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 14:12
God has a specific purpose for your life. Yes, you may already be doing great things for the Kingdom, but is it what God has in store for you?
Because when God calls you to something, He is faithful to sustain it, and you’ll receive more joy and peace than you would on your own.
As believers, God calls us to take up our cross everyday.
We surrender our desires to God in order to see His plans and perfect will come forth in our lives.
This is a tricky one, because we can be doing things that are Kingdom minded and good, but not God’s will for us personally.
When renown Biblical scholar Derek Prince began pursuing God wholeheartedly, God showed him what He called Him to do. Derek Prince was already working faithfully at his local church and well educated in Theology. But God wanted more for His life, and called Him to minister to the nations.
And as a result, millions of people have given their lives to Jesus, and have been discipled through the life of Derek Prince.
God alone knows where you fit perfectly into His Kingdom.
Practice surrendering to the Lord on a daily basis. Pray God’s will over your life and make it your top priority. Ask God about His thoughts, plans, and desires for your life.
6. You’re following a religious system and not Jesus.
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:6
If you’re like me and have grown up in the church, you know that we sometimes practice traditions that are not always Biblical.
And if we’re not careful, church replaces God in our lives, and we start drifting from His uncompromising Word.
In pursuing God these past years, I’ve had to unlearn a lot of things I learned growing up in church.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m so grateful for my upbringing and I wouldn’t change anything about it, but later in life I found out I was thinking religiously about a lot of things.
The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
Rules and regulations, religion, gets in the way of us honestly and openly going before the Lord. We have to be an open book to receive His healing and peace.
It’s good news. We don’t have to work our way to the Father. We come to Jesus and He gives us rest. Every other religion is all about striving and working our way to a god’s acceptance and favor. But Jesus sets us free from striving because He’s already done the work. That’s why we go and preach the gospel gladly. The true God has already paved the way for your peace, safety and rest. It’s through Jesus. Only Jesus.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
7. You have a hard time believing God’s peace is for you.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1: 5-6
The most important step we need to take on this journey of peace is to believe. To have faith.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17
Meditating on God’s faithfulness stirs our faith to believe God for more. “This do in remembrance of me.”
The Israelites built altars and monuments to carry the memory of God’s mighty miracles in order to keep trusting God from generation to generation.
For me, believing God has taken time. Faith takes time to grow because we need to experience the things that require us to actually use it. And as we see more and more prayers answered, trusting God becomes second nature.
We then start to believe God in other areas of our lives.
Now when I read God’s Word, I receive every promise with joy because I believe what He’s saying.
That’s huge.
It took time following Jesus to truly start believing that these wonderful promises of God’s Kingdom are for me too.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Take the next step in your journey towards God’s peace by downloading my Restful Toolkit. Free.
It includes my 7 Day Devotional Workbook: Eliminating the Roadblocks to God’s Peace, my Restful digital magazine, and a list of scriptures on the awe and wonder of God. All free when you subscribe to Restful Faith.
Because when you truly see How much bigger God is, there’ll be no room left in your heart for fear.
