Oh, how I am a people pleaser. I want every meal I cook to be the most delicious thing my company has ever tasted. I want everyone to get my “sparkling” wit. I want to be wanted. But it turns out, I can’t please everyone. As hard as I may find it to believe, some people just don’t like me.
And in the instant of that realization, my peace is out the window. But God’s peace never is. In fact, it’s waiting to be found, like a secret weapon.
God’s peace is both a prayer and a promise. We pray for His blessings in our walk—to enjoy a life of obedience, to feel His protection over our health and our home, for Him to breathe life into our families. And in His peace, He promises to set our souls free.
Free from perfection.
Free from wanting the approval of others.
Free from competing in every popularity contest that we want to win.
The mind governed by the flesh is death but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:6, NIV) Our Lord guarantees life in Him rather than death in the world, because peace with Him transcends the pain, brokenness and emptiness of this world. Let’s choose His peace.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18, NIV) While we shouldn’t need everyone to like us, as Believers, we’re called to love the unlovable. We’re called to love peace, seek peace, be at peace. When that peace is disrupted, in our families and relationships, as hard as it may be, if we are in Him, we should work to bring His peace to those situations. Let’s choose His peace.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NIV) It all boils down to the hope and peace we have in Him. When we are full of that hope and peace, we have no time to fuss over the little quarrels and pettiness that stand to disrupt where we are. Let’s choose His peace.
We’re praying for you to find His peace, Sisters. And He promises to give it abundantly to you.
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38 thoughts on "peace"
Love this… “God’s peace is waiting to be found like a secret weapon”.
How refreshing this devotional is for me. I am, was, not where I use to be. A work in progress. lol
so exhausting is right. I find myself always looking for God's peace, funny its already there. Even in my church where I stand in leadership don't care how much you pray, fast, and concede there are people who just don't like you, won't agree with you, and are bound on being disruptive! Lately I have been focusing on God only, the still small voice that he speaks to us with. I am learning to say No! I am learning to rest in no.
God’s peace is both a prayer and a promise.
God bless
I've certainly struggled through many years of trying to please everyone. Frankly, it's exhausting. I'm thankful to God that I'm learning to get a hold of that tendency, through many trials & many errors. I simply cannot make everyone happy, everywhere, all the time, and when I try… I am the one who winds up annoyed, resentful, bitter, and terribly unhappy. That's when the devil wins & I'm sorry to say that he has had such a hold on me through the years. I strive, yearn, to look straight to God for validation and no where else.
Two other statements in today's devotional really stood out to me: 1) "When that peace is disrupted, in our families and relationships, as hard as it may be, if we are in Him, we should work to bring His peace to those situations. Let’s choose His peace." 2) When we are full of that hope and peace, we have no time to fuss over the little quarrels and pettiness that stand to disrupt where we are. Let’s choose His peace." I've experienced a MAJOR disruption of peace in my relationship this week. The circumstances of the blow up probably are petty but I feel there are serious underlying issues present, issues that are truly fundamental differences between us. What if God is trying to show me that I need to move on & remove myself from this relationship? Or is that one of Satan's lying schemes again? What if God is revealing Himself more to me through the trials of this relationship, showing me how to love & forgive in His image – not my own? I want a peaceful life, a peaceful relationship. I want to be full of hope and peace, but I can't live in denial that my relationship is not in a good place. Not for a long while. I feel very confused. Has anyone else felt confused about where God wants you to be? What He wants you to do? I want my heart and mind to live in the peace of Jesus Christ. I need His peace. I'm just not feeling it here, with this man.
I would appreciate any prayers and I also pray that we all, the natural people pleasing women that we are, take some time over the next few days to simply please ourselves in His word and also in our actions. Let's get outside of our worries for a moment, I know I certainly need to. I'm thinking back to the comments I have posted during this reading plan; most have been so sad & especially today. This devotional plan has really made me think, spoken to my heart of hearts. Thank you Lord.
Lauren- hugs and a prayer for you. I'm sorry you're struggling right now. I also find it so difficult to know what the "right" decision is in certain situations. How great that you're letting your faith guide you as you are reflecting on this situation.
I can't quote the scripture, but a recent reading included the advice to be still/stay quiet and listen for the Lord. I usually always have a lack of patience and I want situations resolved immediately. I constantly have to remind myself that it's in God's time. I hope you feel some clarity and peace soon.
Thank you Michelle. I need to remember the verse you have in mind – to let God fight for me, and I need only to be silent. I need to remember to be silent inwardly in my thoughts as well, and just listen to God. Sometimes my thoughts can be quite toxic. Thank you for your support & wishing you a blessed day today.
Hi LaurenC, I can certainly appreciate where you are coming from, I too struggled through many years of trying to please everyone. Frankly, it is very exhausting. I'm better now only because of many trials. I finally rested in the fact that I couldn't make everyone happy, everywhere, all the time, and when I try… I am the one who winds up annoyed, resentful, bitter, and terribly unhappy. What really got it for me was I finally discovered that while I was up all night worrying , what ifing the world was sleep, moved on to something else.
I find God's word to be so true Psalm 34:14 Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it, 1 Peter 3:11, Snub evil, and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth.
The pursuit of peace must be purposed. Its a choice. It takes practice. I believing in being real. And n many cases its a sacrifice. A dying to our flesh, it won't feel good. Our human nature longs to be right, to be first, to be acknowledged, to be loved. But we are all that through the blood that Christ shed for us!
I pray for you this morning, I pray that Gods word would cause all crooked places to become strait n your relationship.
God bless you my sister.
Thank you so much for your support. You are right; the pursuit of peace above all else is not only a choice but it does take practice. I fail often but that's okay because at least I'm trying. At least my desire is in the right place now, finally. Thank for you the excellent reminder that it's our human nature which longs to be right, to be first, to be acknowledged, to be loved. It's all right here for me, in the Lord. I hope you have a blessed day today.
Peace. Even in the midst of spiritual battle. God-of-the-Angel-Armies fights our battles for us. I need peace now.
I preach Phil. 4 to myself all the time: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
IF we present our requests to God WITH thanksgiving THEN God will guard our hearts with his perfect peace.
Nicole,
Funny that. I have that song by Chris Tomlin re the God of Angel Armies on the loop. Love it!
I can so relate to this post! I am so a people pleaser! I can't stand for anyone to be mad at me! today, in my bible reading, I read about Giddeon, and this just so fits.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13,
NIV) It all boils down to the hope and peace we have in Him. When we are full of that hope and peace, we have no time to fuss over the little quarrels
and pettiness that stand to disrupt where we are. Let’s choose His peace.
Trusting Him. that means faith, something else i was listening to a podcast on today.
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about thingswe cannot see." (Hebrews 11:1, NLT). We have this faith that God is in all of it, and we then have peace. so simple, but not so easy.
You are so right..when we are full of Jesus, there is no room for pettiness or worry. Now I gotta let Him in those little spaces that are blocked with pettiness and such. Why is that so hard? It should be easy.
The subject of peace reminded me what a good friend shared with me three years ago. (Yes, I still need to read it now.) Her notes are from Beth Moore (Living Beyond Yourself study, maybe?) re being a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. I hope it blesses someone since we seem to be struggling with the same issues.
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Fr Beth Moore:
“Jesus says in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
Realize the vast difference between peace maker and a peacekeeper. A typical peacekeeper often attempts to keep peace at any cost. Ironically this brand of peace is primarily a false peace.
Jeremiah 8:11 says, “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”
We pretend there is peace not to rock the boat, ruffle feathers, but there really is no peace.
A true peacemaker is inferred in the word used in Matthew 5:9 which is the Greek word eirenopoios. It means “peacemaker, one who restores peace and reconciliation between persons or nations.” Embedded in that word is the Greek word poios, meaning “to make, do, expressing action either as completed or continued.”
To be a true peacemaker means doing, taking action. It takes work to be a peacemaker, we can not sit idly by and cease working for peace. That is the opposite of peace and it it the word philneikos. It means “lover of contention.”
We can either be keepers of false peace or lovers of contention, but Jesus calls us to be peacekeepers. It takes work and some doing but in Christ’s strength we can do all things.
Our prayer should be to Christ, “Come take over!” because the rule of Christ in our lives is the uncontested key to true peace. “
Right on time again! :) l am a HUGE people pleaser, and there is no better way to get frustrated or disappointed with yourself . I find this devo liberating! To be free from the pressure of trying to be everything to everybody. I know I can’t, yet feel tremendous guilt when I’m not. “God’s peace is both a prayer and a promise…and in His peace, He promises to set our souls free…because peace with Him transcends the pain, brokenness and emptiness of this world… God’s peace- He promises to give it abundantly to you!”
What a promise! To have that self-imposed burden lifted…amazing! To have PEACE instead- JOYFUL! To experience these promises actually happening makes me want to celebrate and praise His name, that even in this extremely trying time in my life I can give Thanks for the work He is doing in and around me. I believe Sisters, I have found my “secret weapon”- resting in the knowledge of joy and abundant peace because I can trust Him. His promises are NOT empty, but full of joyous life! Today I choose Him. Today I choose peace!
Praying all my Sisters have a peaceful, pleasant day!! :)
"Stand in awe of God's Yes." Psalm 128:4 MSG — I love this. The conviction of this.
As I opened my email this morning, I found K-Love's encouraging word for the day: "Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philipians 4:7
I pray you all feel God's peace guarding your hearts and minds today. God bless.
I get K-Love's encouraging word also. I love it when God's word is so obvious, so necessary, it shows up in more than one place in the same day. Great name, BTW ;-)
Father God, thank you for peace. Peace that you give each one of us through your word. Your living word, that speaks to each one of us in where we are at in our walk with you. Be with each of these wonderful sisters in Christ that I share my morning coffee with. May each one of them feel your loving arms around them as they go about their day. I love your words in:
1 Peter 3:11-12~ Seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of The Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.~
Gret devo and scripture this morning! This really hits close to home! I’ve struggled with people-pleasing tendencies most of my life. It’s only been within the last 15 years that I really sought and received God’s help in this area. And I’m definitely still a work in progress! But, oh, I am ever so grateful for the work He has done in me– there has definitely been huge improvement. Thank you, Lord! Prayers, sisters, that we all experience His peace today and always!
I pray that my family will find peace. Especially my son, as he attends public school and is experiencing some issues dealing with other kids.
This was it! All week the devotionals had been building to this breakthrough for me. Today’s brought me to tears and it’s so great to feel connected in this journey. Thank you!
Thank you sisters for this wonderful reminder that we have peace in the Lord. Many times we look for peace in the world only to realize that it is with Jesus that complete peace is found through our trust and obedience to his word. It is this peace that I pray for each day.
I, too, work my fingers to the bone to please others and as the old country song says, "what do I get–bony fingers". The Romans 8 passage in the Message forces me to examine the source of my lack of peace, my need to please others and WHAT DO YOU KNOW? The finger points straight back to me. Lack of Peace results from obsession with self. I hope these words speak to all of you like they did to me today. Have a Peace filled day, Sisters.
Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life.
Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God!
Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.
Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God.
Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.
(Romans 8:5-8 MSG)
"Lack of peace results from obsession with self." Ouch, ouch, och! You have really stepped on my toes today! Ouch! but thank you, because this is exactly what I needed to hear. thank you, sister, but oh man! Ouch!
Praying for you today. I needed peace 2 days ago in a situation. I was fine all week , but then when the day came I felt fear creep in. I quoted over and over the exact scriptures Candacejo shared. My God supplied all my need for indescribable Peace! He is Faithful!
Thanks again for the reminder to stop worrying about what others think of me but concentrate on being pleasing to HIM.
I want to LOVE others ALL the time but I realize I will never make everybody happy nor will everybody like me.
But I choose His peace and it feels great.
I'm new here. I found you all on the first day of this study and joined in on the reading. I haven't posted before today but I am posting today with a prayer request; I am in need of peace today. I had chosen to be in a situation that is challenging to be in as a Christian. And now, at the last minute I am doubting myself. "My reasoning. My choice." I am doubting want was so clear to me as the right thing. I am confidant that it was the right choice because up until now I had peace about it. I know it's fear which is not of Him and that I need to trust Him. But doubt is so easy to fall into, and flesh is weak. My prayer request is that the peace I had will return, and hopefully soon. I would greatly appreciate any breath you could spare today. And I will be holding these verses close to my heart as this venture continues. <3
I am going to pray for you right now that God will give you back your peace! If this is something that you cannot remove yourself from then God can walk with you THROUGH this trial and "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" Isaiah 26:3
The hardest thing for us to learn is that the devil is a liar. He will put things in our mind to confuse us, make us afraid, cause us to doubt, and to lose our trust. Whenever he is telling you all these things start quoting scripture! That is your weapon….."The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have the divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4,5.
We pray for peace for you today in Jesus' name! There is all power in that name above all names!
Thank you for this. I needed this reminder today, this reassurance.
Praying Christ's peace for you today.
Prayers for you!
Saying a prayer for you. God has a plan for us and this is part of his plan for you. You will find the strength and resolve to navigate this situation in Him. Keep praying and reading, it helps so much!
I too am a people pleaser, but I am beginning to realize it does bot matter what others think or say about me. God loves me and will always love me no matter what I do. I should focus on pleasing him in everything I do rather than trying to appease the people around me.
This ties in with the devo from a few days ago about confidence. I should not find peace or confidence in earthly things or other people, but in God. His steadfast love is a blessing. I pray that each of you wonderful ladies feels his love and finds peace within our Father today!
It is amazing how I find myself in the printed word of each and every devotion!!
I, too, am a people pleaser… and the last year has been an incredibly hard season for me because I had angered a lot of people and now there is just no pleasing them. (And yet I have nearly broken my neck trying). God does not need my deeds. My deeds will not get me into heaven… And yet people need my deeds to be satiated, coddled, or coaxed back into liking me. And even more deeds will be needed when I slip and fall in their eyes again. They will never be pleased…
God loves me regardless. He made me… Why wouldn't he love me?! I am His completely and he gives me peace and rest from needing to perform deeds. For that I am eternally grateful!
Amy,
I just realized yesterday that what I thought I had overcomed, the wanting to be accepted by others, was actually still in full throttle in me. Then this devotion talks about that very topic today. And I read your comment and saw me in it too, how sometimes I have tried to not offend, and yet, in trying so hard not to offend, I get resentful and then I offend. Vicious cycle. And you're right, people will never be pleased..because people will always see things in their own perspectives and everyone is different and everyone wants to be right. What pleases one, will not please the other.
So, I'm going to pray God's peace over me and you and others here so that we will just look to please Him, and that as we walk in His peace amongst others, and have that assurance that what we are doing is pleasing Him, then if people are offended, it is no longer our problem. It is their own responsibility to find out why they are offended and take measures to correct that. I can only be responsible for my actions, not the actions of others.
Even Jesus couldn't please everyone but He pleased the One who matters for His food was to do the will of the Father. That was what fed Him and filled Him. Let that be that which fills and feeds us too. :-)
Amen and amen, Adeline!! I'll be praying you up, too!!
Peace is mine, peace is mine, i know that peace is mine i told old Satan to get thee behind, peace today is mine. Claim it sisters it’s ours in the mighty name of Jesus. Thank u Lord.
It is easy for me to look everywhere but at the Lord for affirmation, security, and annswers. He truly is our only answer. The peace is right before our eyes, our choice is to take it. Help us Lord to rest in you, the source of peace the world cannot give.
Thank you for praying for me; I certainly need it and definitely appreciate it. God’s peace is waiting to be found, like a secret weapon – I love that! His peace certainly passes understanding; God’s peace isn’t a natural peace. It’s supernatural.
Lord, I thank You today for Your peace, and I pray that you will help me and my sisters choose peace and help us remain in Your peace, so that we would overflow with hope today. Amen.
“Today I choose His peace!” Praying for all of you who need prayer. May the peace of God be a comfort to you. May He keep you in His perfect peace.