Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. John 14:27 (NIV)

What’s your world like today?  Stressful, hectic, busy?  Or is your world quiet, relaxed and full of peace?

Either way, Jesus came, conquered & gives us the comfort to endure life with chaos.  Want the secret?  Want the secret of peace on earth?  Read on.

When researching the study verse above, I came across two verses that hold the key.  See if you can find it.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:15 (NLT)

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!   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. Philippians 4:4,7 (NLT)

Did you catch it?

In both of these verses peace comes along with a thankful heart.  Now, before you take my words of advise, let me give you some context.

The peace of God is a gift of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus says He’ll send peace through the Holy Spirit.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17

However, even though we have this free gift of peace from the Holy Spirit, we can choose to refuse or choose to use the gift.  The Bible gives us a clue on how to develop peace to its highest potential – thankfulness.

Don’t believe me?  Try it out.

The next time you feel stressed, when you feel like things are spinning out of control, stop and give thanks to God.  Thank Him for being in control.  Thank Him for the people around you.  Thank Him for life and salvation.

*****

Visit Shane’s personal blog or her ministry web site. She can’t wait to hear from you!