Most people would define peace of mind as the absence of mental stress and anxiety. The Bible uses the word “peace” in several different ways. Peace sometimes refers to a state of friendship between God and you. This peace between a holy God and sinful you has been achieved by Christ’s sacrificial death, (Colossians 1:20). This friendship with God is a prerequisite for the second kind of peace, that which sometimes refers to a tranquil mind. It is only when “you have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1) that you can experience the true peace of mind that is fruit from the Holy Spirit, in other words, His fruit exhibited in you (Galatians 5:22).
Isaiah 26:3 tells you that God will keep you in “perfect peace” if your mind is on Him, meaning your mind leans on Him, centers on Him, and trusts in Him. Your tranquility of mind is “perfect” or imperfect to the degree that the “mind is on God” rather than yourself or on your problems. Peace is experienced as you believe what the Bible says about God’s nearness as in Psalm 139:1-12, and about His goodness and power, His mercy and love for you as one of His children, and His complete sovereignty over all of your life’s circumstances. But you can’t trust someone you don’t know, and it is crucial, therefore, to come to know intimately the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Peace is experienced as a result of prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
A peaceful mind and heart are experienced as a result of recognizing that an all-wise and loving Father has a purpose in your trials. “Know that all things work together for the good to you as one that loves God and as one who has been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Isaiah 26:3 tells you that God will keep you in “perfect peace” if your mind is on Him, meaning your mind leans on Him, centers on Him, and trusts in Him. Your tranquility of mind is “perfect” or imperfect to the degree that the “mind is on God” rather than yourself or on your problems. Peace is experienced as you believe what the Bible says about God’s nearness as in Psalm 139:1-12, and about His goodness and power, His mercy and love for you as one of His children, and His complete sovereignty over all of your life’s circumstances. But you can’t trust someone you don’t know, and it is crucial, therefore, to come to know intimately the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Peace is experienced as a result of prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
A peaceful mind and heart are experienced as a result of recognizing that an all-wise and loving Father has a purpose in your trials. “Know that all things work together for the good to you as one that loves God and as one who has been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
God can bring a variety of good things, including peace, from the afflictions which you experience. Even the discipline and chastening of the Lord will “yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness” in your life (Hebrews 12:11). They provide a fresh opportunity for “hoping in God” and eventually “praising Him” (Psalm 43:5). Afflictions help you “comfort” others when they undergo similar trials (2 Corinthians 1:4), and they “achieve for you an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Peace of mind and the tranquility of spirit that accompanies it are only available when you have true peace with God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as payment for your sins. Peace of mind is available through the intimate knowledge of, and complete trust in, the God who meets “all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Peace of mind and the tranquility of spirit that accompanies it are only available when you have true peace with God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as payment for your sins. Peace of mind is available through the intimate knowledge of, and complete trust in, the God who meets “all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
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