Peace is a Gift

This week I've struggled to remain steadfast in Christ's peace. It was a roller coaster week. One moment I was feeling peace and the next my mind would be racing with questions and my stomach would be in knots. "Why?" I would ask. "Why, Jesus. do I feel your peace about things and then begin to question you?" I begged Him for steadfast peace, yet it didn't come. After 3 devotions in a row about peace from 3 different sources I asked Jesus to reveal what it was I needed to understand. He simply seemed to say, "My peace is a gift. You must choose to receive it!"

As I look back over the last several blogs I am reminded of how we CHOOSE PEACE.
1. Keep Your Feet Above Water: As Peter did when he walked on the water, we must choose to keep
    our eyes on Christ. When we look away, we lose his peace.
2. The Flip-side: We share what we love. Therefore, if we are not experiencing Christ's peace, we are
    choosing to love our circumstance above the peace that comes from loving our Lord.
3. A Matter of Perspective: We must choose to give thanks. Thanksgiving and worry cannot both
    take place in our heart and mind at the same time, so we must choose thanksgiving.

A gift is not forced upon you. It is held out and you choose to receive it or leave it in the hands of the giver. As followers of Christ, we are offered good gifts. One of the gifts Jesus offers is the gift of peace.
It is not a once and for all gift. It is a gift which you choose to receive moment by moment! Today, choose peace.