What Is Inner Peace?

Having a nervous breakdown was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Before reaching the absolute end of my stress threshold, I never thought that finding inner peace was possible-especially for a sensitive person prone to anxiety like me. Peace was a completely foreign concept to me.

After having multiple instances of mental breakdowns, I finally learned what inner peace is and it wasn’t what I expected it to be.

I didn’t think the journey would turn Spiritual or that I was capable of it I always seen myself as a weak individual. Hitting rock bottom -feeling like I couldn’t go on anymore. Not even realizing there was a way to find it.

So, what’s inner peace? Inner peace is what we feel when our body, mind, heart, and soul is at rest. Instead of striving to control or resist ourselves and others, we feel a sense of profound acceptance, forgiveness, love, and compassion. Inner peace is being in touch with your true nature. Inner peace is the byproduct of letting go of all the stress, brokenness and sufferings and surrendering everything to God

When you hit rock bottom there is no where else to go but up. There is nothing else you have to loose. It’s not about chasing, striving, and trying to earn tranquillity. We you try to fight for inner peace is contradictory and pointless. It just deepen our suffering.

Finding inner peace is about relinquishing our need to control and fight. Essentially, you could say it’s about giving up (I’m just not going to fight anymore I’m done). But you don’t do it in a disempowering way. It’s a form of resignation that is based on a deeper level of understanding that we don’t need to constantly resist everything.

It doesn’t mean you become a pushover or a doormat that people can abuse. Living in peace is letting go and surrendering isn’t about letting yourself be used and abused. There just comes a point in life when we have to focus on ourselves, practice self-care, self-control and self-love. It’s time to pamper yourself and stop trying to make everyone happy except yourself. This might mean setting boundaries, saying no, and removing ourselves from harmful situations that don’t create peace in your life. But it also means surrendering, blame and hatred toward anyone. And you’ll be able to see the difference immediately. If it steals your peace then it’s to expensive. Life is all about balance.

Here’s a exercise that will help you to understand what inner peace is like

Sit down somewhere quiet. Then tense your entire body. Imagine you’re being scrunched into a tight rubber band ball. Hold that for 30 seconds. Become as contracted as possible. Make yourself super stiff and uncomfortable. Then release. You can feel how spacious you boby is now. That’s what inner peace feels like -except it radiates from the inside out.

I can feel it in my body now, when things start feeling tense. I feel pain between my shoulder blades. That’s when I know my body is contracting. And I need to remove myself from the situation – a sign I am losing my inner peace. Any situation you don’t feel at peace with. Remove yourself from it situation, no matter what it is, it not worth losing you peace over. If the situation is unavoidable. Get yourself away from it as soon as possible.

Don’t Sacrifice Your Inner Peace For Anyone.

The Last Supper

Jesus’s Betrayal, Arrest And Trial

The Last Supper was the final meal Jesus shared with His disciples, The night before His crucifixion. During this meal, Jesus predicted that one of his disciples had betrayed Him. At the end of this meal, Jesus broke bread and shared it with His disciples, telling them to “do this in remembrance of Me” Luke 22:19).

Jesus awkward and whine to Him disciples, saying to them, “ Drink from it, all of you. This is My new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20)

These quotes show us that, the sacrifice of Jesus was about to make a new relationship would be formed between God and humanity.

The last supper holds a special significance for believers as it forms a basis of the Eucharist, a key church service.

The Betrayal And Arrest

After the Last Supper, Jesus was talking to some of his disciples, in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas (one of the disciples) arrived, leading the chief priests and their guards to Jesus. Jesus’s disciples wanted to defend their leader, but Jesus told them to put their swords away. Peter, Jesus’s closest disciple, cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. Jesus killed it and ordered that there should be no violence. He was a little way to the house of the High Priest.

The Trial

Jesus was put on trial by the Sanhedrin. They consider Jesus’s claims to be the son of God blasphemy and found Him guilty of this charge.

The next morning, Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Pontius Pilate did not think that Jesus was guilty so he gave the assembled coward a choice; he would either release Jesus or a Jewish freedom fighter, Barabbas. The crowd chose Barbabbas to be released. That meant Jesus was to be crucified.

The soldiers mock Jesus, and placed a crown of thorns on His head. The crown of thorns represents both Jesus’s suffering and the fact that He was mocked by His persecutors.

The Crucifixion

Jesus was crucified on a Friday along side two robbers, one on each side of Him. A sign above His head read “King of the Jews.” As He was crucified, Jesus Cried out: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24).

One of the robbers confessed to Jesus, that he had sinned and said that he and the other robber deserved to die because of their crimes. The robber, who also acknowledged that Jesus was innocent. He just told the robber that they would meet again in paradise.

Christians believe that Jesus‘s crucifixion was a crucial moment in His life as this act brought human salvation from sin.

The Resurrection

After the crucifixion, Jesus‘s body was buried in a tomb, garden by Roman soldiers. Early on Sunday morning, three days after the crucifixion, some of Jesus’s female followers went to anoint His body with spices. However, the tomb was empty. Two men in leaning white clothes, appeared and told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead. The women informed Jesus’s disciples that the tomb was empty.

For most Christians, the resurrection is the most significant event. It is the ultimate miracle which proves the divinity of Jesus, as well as indicating that death is not the end.

The Ascension

The Gospel of Luke states the 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus told his disciples that they must stay in Jerusalem, and that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, Jesus was taken up into a cloud. Two men in White appeared and hold the disciples that Jesus had gone to Heaven.

The ascension remind Christians that Jesus has gone to heaven to prepare a place for them, so that they do not need to fear death. As Jesus is no longer restricted by time, He’s always with them. Christians also believe that Jesus didn’t die again before ascending to heaven, the Ascension shows Jesus’s divinity.

Our Faithful God

When was the last time you went to bed at night and thought, “ I wonder if the sun will rise in the morning?” To put it more accurately, “I wonder if the Earth will stop spinning on the axis overnight?” You probably have never been in doubt about the sun and the planets faithfulness to make their appointed Rounds.

Prophet. Jeremiah connected the stability of the universe to the faithfulness of God. Just as a sunrise every morning, so is God’s compassion, and mercy new every morning. “It’s not as if God turned off his mercy and compassion overnight, and turned them on again in the morning. What Jeremiah meant was, God‘s mercy and compassion never cease because God is faithful; He keeps His promises, His blessings remain (Numbers 23:19-20).

Here’s the question: If God keep the universe, running on time, can we not trust Him to be faithful in the details of our lives? God’s word promises and blessings go along with His compassion and mercy – are new every morning.

Through the Lord’s mercy, we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness . Lamentations 3 22-23.

Use Your Time Wisely

Standing In The Evil Day

“Therefore Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

This is a fighter’s verse. You can hear the sound of combat when you read it. You can sense the smoke and gunfire of desperate battle, of solders rushing to the front lines, and at the end of the verse, you can hear the sound of victory.

Ephesians 6:13 describes our current situation. The “evil day” is upon us. We have the armor of God. We are called to stand our ground and to fight to the end so that we may be standing when the day is done. Everything we need for this present moment is in this one verse.

Why Is Satan So Active In The World Today?

1. Christians have neglected the entire realm of spiritual warfare.

Why – because certain teachers have gone to extremes, many pastors have shied away from the subject of spiritual warfare altogether. And that means the people were not taught. Many people will go into battle unprepared.

2. Satan knows his time is short

Satan is so active today because we are living in the last days. 2 Timothy 3:1 tells us that in the last days “perilous times” will come. There seems to be a coalescing view of many Christians leaders that we are hurling headlong toward the end of human hi story as we know it. If that is true, we shouldn’t be surprised that Satan has redoubled his efforts, knowing that his time is short ( Revelation 12:12).

3. Satan is so active because society has rejected God and embraced evil In radical ways. When evil abounds, you may be certain that Satan is having a field day.

When there is pornography, open Satan worship, widespread drug and alcohol abuse, sexual immorality, add to that list the legalized killing of unborn and the sweeping redefinition of marriage. Sin has always been with us, and Satan has always been active, but in the 21st century, we have openly rejected God and His Word. When you turn from God, the only thing left is the worship of idols of your own making (Romans 118:24). Most of us know the verse that says, “This is the day the Lord has made” (Psalm 118:24). A wise observer said that we have turned that on its head; “This is the day the Lord has made.” What a perfect description of modern man and rebellion against God.

The Warning

“When the days of evil comes.“

Paul says, “When the day of evil comes” not if the day of evil comes because nothing is more certain that the conflict in the heavenly realm. The day of evil is power.

It’s important to understand what Paul means here. While every day had its share of evil, not every day is the “evil day.” There are moments in life when we feel the heat of the battle in a big way. In those days temptation flares us, tempers grow short, friends turn against us, discouragement sets in, and we feel like giving up.

Satan doesn’t fight fair, Why should he? He attacks us in our weakness, he uses circumstances to discourage us, he tempt us to do things we swore we would never do, he hits us when we are alone and vulnerable.

The “days of evil” comes sooner or later for all of us. And it comes again and again.

We have been largely shielded from the kind of suffering our brothers and sisters in places like Somalia, Sudan, India, and China routinely face, such as public abuse, legal restrictions, and sometimes arrests, imprisonment, and death . Things are bound to get worse for us in America as our society becomes more secular,

A March through church history reveals a long and sordid array of government-sponsored persecutions, it’s survey not showing rulers who understand and fulfill their God-given purpose. When persecution comes to America we shouldn’t necessarily expect our government to protect us. The current cultural trends show protection isn’t likely.

The day of evil always comes sooner or later. It had come again and again in church history. No one gets a free ride on the journey from earth to heaven. We in the west need to get together if we are to survive what is coming our way.

Perhaps you’ve had a good week, a good month, a good year. Enjoy every blessing you receive. But take nothing for granted. In the battle for your soul, Satan never takes a vacation.

The Command

“Put on the whole armor of God.”

What do you do when the evil day comes? You put on the whole armor of God. The Greek word for “put on” comes from the military vocabulary of the first century. It was used for the last thing the soldier would do before going out to battle. When the call came, the soldier would grab his armor, put it on, and head for the fight. When the evil day comes, before you go to battle, make sure you’re in uniform.

To many people don’t take this seriously. That’s why they get clobbered in the head.

The Armor of God remind us of who our enemies are. It’s too easy to look at the world today and think our enemies are certain politicians or certain entertainers or the Muslim radicals who behead their victims and then make videos bragging about it. When we see people fighting in favor of abortion and in favor of gay marriage and against Christian values in the marketplace, it’s easy to say “They are our enemies.”

But Paul has already said, “We don’t fight against flesh and blood.” That meant he wasn’t leading a revolution against the wicked emperor Nero who burned Rome and then blamed it on the Jews. Nero instigated a persecution of Jews across the empire that led to believers being burned alive and thrown to the lions. He eventually had Paul himself beheaded.

Our Enemy Is Invisible

Nero was not the enemy As wicked as he was, Nero was just a tool of the real enemy, Satan and the forces of wickedness is in the spiritual realm. This is what is going on today.

It’s easy to hate terrorists for what they are doing to our brothers and sisters in the Middle East and in Africa. They blew up the World Trade Center on 9/11. They intended to do much more in America when they get the chance.

We Do Not Fight Alone

Let it be clearly said that I favor doing whatever must be done to stop violence and pain inflicted on everyone throughout the World. But we must not view any political and ideological opponents as the ultimate enemy we face,

Our ultimate enemy is invisible. He cannot be seen or touched. His armies move in the spiritual realm.

This is actually a liberating perspective because it set us free to love those who hate us. If we believe what Paul is saying in this verse, we can stand strong when the world mocks our faith. When they curse, us we don’t have to respond in kind. If we put on the full armor of God, we won’t be thrown off stride.

What Is The Full Armor Of God?

In the larger context Ephesians 6: 14-27 answers that question. The armor has 6 parts:

  • The Belt Of Truth
  • Breastplate Of Righteousness
  • Shoes Of The Gospel
  • Shield Of Faith
  • Helmet Of Salvation
  • Sword Of The Spirit – The Word Of God

The armor remind us that our hope for Victory rests in the character of God.

No One Said Being A Christian Is Easy

Behind the belt of truth stands the God of truth. Behind the breastplate of righteousness stands the God of righteousness. Behind the hues of the gospel of peace, stand the God of peace. Behind the shield of faith stands the God, who is faithful. Behind the word of God stand the God of the Word.

We do not fight alone, or in our own power. When we take up the divine armor, God himself fights for us. Supernatural enemies require supernatural resources.

The Result

“You may be able to stand your own ground, and after you have done everything to stand.”

The phrase “stand your ground“ speaks of hand to hand combat. No one said being a Christian is easy. Any representations to the contrary are false and dangerous. When we sign up for Team Jesus, we join the Lord’s army. Maybe you knew that’s what you were doing. Or maybe you just prayed a prayer because you wanted Jesus in your heart,nor you walked an aisle and someone led you to Jesus. Perhaps you came to Christ because of the influence of a praying mother or father who set a good example or a youth pastor who challenged you about your spiritual life.

There are thousands of ways people come to Christ. God uses many means to bring people into His family.

Your In The Army Now

So it’s very possible you thought, “I want to know Jesus“ or “I want my sins forgiven” or “I want to know I am going to Heaven” or “ this is what I have been searching for.” It doesn’t matter why you signed up.

You’re in the army now.

You signed up for Frontline duty in the Army of Jesus. He doesn’t have any desk jobs where you can stay far behind the lines, and the other risk their lives for Christ. We’re all in this together as soldiers of Christ.

There is good news and bad news here. The bad news being that no one gets a break from the battle. We are under attack 24/7/365. Because Satan doesn’t sleep, we don’t have the luxury of going to sleep, spiritually. The good news is God has provided everything necessary, so that we might fight and win every battle we face.

This Day The Noise of Battle, The Next The Victor’s Song

The last phrase “ after you have done everything to stand” Pictures of soldier, standing in the middle of a battlefield after the conflict has ended. It has been a long, hard, brutal, fight, with many casualties, many wounded, many fallen. He stands and surveys the battlefield, his uniform soaked with sweat, dirt and blood. Eyes are red rimmed with exhaustion. There are craters all around him where the artillery had chewed up the ground. He hears the cry of those who have been hit. He does not smile because he knows the enemy will attack again tomorrow. But tonight he will rest well, knowing that he was still standing in the fighting ended.

Satan Never Sleeps

I have a family member that was fighting in Afghanistan. When they were serving I read a book about a soldier where the Commander always said. “The Taliban, can start a fight at any time they like, but we will finish it. Thinking about that, that was Paul’s idea was. We stand and fight in Jesus name, and when the smoke clears, we will, you’ll be standing victorious on the battlefield.

Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus

The battle we face is not ours. They are the Lord’s. Jesus won the greatest battle when he died and rose again. God intends that you stand in victory at the end of the day. But that won’t happen without a fight. We are not supposed to run and hide. Serving Jesus is for strong men and brave women.

I am not a pessimist. But it’s time to put on the Armor of God, belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness. Let’s make sure we’re wearing our gospel shoes. Put on the helmet of salvation, pick up the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit and head to the sound of the battle.

We were made for times like these. Stand firm on the evil day. Stand up for Jesus in the power of the Spirit.

The Victory Is Ours