Meh.

This post is going to be a combination of my personal journey as of late, my thoughts of late and a devotional that I read this morning.  Amazing all are on the same line of thought.  Pretty cool God.  Like He's trying to tell me something eh?

For the two or three people who read this it goes without saying and none of you are surprised when I say that I may be a little high strung and wound a little tight.  This I believe is something that can work for my benefit, but more often than not as I lose control of it, it becomes a major detriment to me, my relationships, my ministry and ultimately the plan that God has for me in many areas in my life.  I've been asking God a lot lately why I am the way I am.  Don't get me wrong, I am fearfully and wonderfully made and God's masterpeice and all that jazz, but I've been wrestling lately with this as I can see some of it's damaging effects if I lose control of it. 

One evening over the weekend it was impressed on my heart "to be anxious for nothing" so I asked how do I do that.  The response was simple and quick.  Read the rest of the verse.  So here is what I was given:

Phl 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Phl 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phl 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

So I pray.  I offer thanks even though my brain takes me to "other" places and attitudes.  I realize that God's peace is beyond what I understand or comprehend so I don't have to get it.  Then I focus on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.  This is what I intentionally think on.  So I guess if I have "other" thoughts enter my brain I let them go or ignore them.  With God's authority in me... I can do that.

Then there was this morning... One devotional took me to Psalm 119 and God's Word being my source.  This is how I have the strength to ignore or reject those "other" thoughts... By having God's word firmly planted in my heart.. Awesome!

Then God went a step further and took me to another devotional and into the book of Colosians and the topic was "peace".  I'm thinking I'm a little thick and need some major repetition to get things.  LOL.
Colosians 3:15-17 says this:

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

2 quick observations from this passage.  Number 1 is that it says "let the peace of Christ RULE in your hearts.. ."  It doesn't say let the peace of Christ "exist" or "influence" in your heart.  It says rule.  Rule says that it's an all encompasing master and not just a part that is allowed to peek in and visit once in a while when it's convenient.  The peace must be there to stay and have dominion of our hearts.  This appears to be an act of submission on our part which could explain why so many of us are restless and not at peace.  We don't like to submit to anything or allow anything to have rule in us that we don't create. 

The other observation that caught me was the amount of times the word "thanks" or various forms of that word were in this passage.  I count three times and that tells me that the peace of Christ (which we don't always understand or have to for that matter) comes out of an attitude of gratitude.  If we are thankful for God's blessings, God's favour and what He's already done in our lives it's hard to complain about what we don't have.  Isn't that where our lack of peace comes from at the core?  We complain about what we don't have, what we would rather be doing, or what others get that we don't and all the while we get ourselves spun so tight that our words turn into a life of unrest, and definitely not a life of peace that Christ offers. 
I'll admit that this is a struggle with me as the little things and insecurity loves to creep into my mind and get me spun, but I am grateful that Christ is patient and is offereing me His peace and I don't even have to understand it.  To know that it is there and I can and will abide, live, rest and be ruled by His peace is a comforting thought.  I very much want to be a "meh" kind of person who is able to let the small things slide and be ruled by the Prince of Peace and by God's strength and guidance of His Word... I will get there. 

Grateful to God today.
Blessings and Love to you all...