Peace of mind is a choice. It’s not something we just have.  The level of peace we have now, is based on the choices we’ve previously made.

John 14:27 (KJV) – Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Where is your loyalty?  Have you truly thought about, who you are loyal to?  Are you loyal to your favorite football team?

When you know your team is playing,  you’re hoping they will win, even before the game starts, just because it’s your team. During the game, your screaming at the players, saying what they should have done, what they should do next, and what you’re going to do if they don’t get their act together. Or, your screaming because they’re scoring, you’re bragging about them, saying how good they are, giving them praise, and speaking negative about the other team.  If they lose, you have nothing good to say, but speak on everything they did wrong.  If they win, you’re loving them, everything is good, and no one can tell you nothing about your team!

Sounds like most relationships. The only difference between the football team and the relationship is, when the team continues to lose, you still stick with them, in spite of the things they did wrong.

Be loyal to God, and He will show you how to be loyal to your relationship.

We can’t expect to bring happiness upon ourselves, while bringing misery to other people.  It’s a receipe for disaster.

We reap what we sow, more than we sow, later than we sow.

We pray and ask our Father for help.  When our prayers are not answered on our time, we ask, why isn’t God listening?

Know that God hears His children. We’re not patient enough to wait for the results. Our Father is working a good thing in you during your trials. If you go through something and don’t get stronger, wiser, grow from it, you will eventually go through the trial again, until our Father has broken you from what doesn’t belong in you. Every trial is to make you stronger and to be a testimonial to help others.

When we move ahead of God, we miss our blessings. Keep in mind,  our Father doesn’t move on your time, but His. Slow your roll, and receive your blessings!!

Satan has one job. . . destroy. And he’s very good at it. His job is to steal, to kill, and to destroy. He walks about as a roaring lion, looking for whom he can devour. He steals your joy, kills relationships, and destroys your good thoughts, among other things.

What a lot of us don’t know, is that he can be defeated. You can defeat satan. Jesus said, I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly. THAT MEANS YOU!! We have that power to live an abundant life, to keep our joy, to stand strong and fight against whatever satan throws at us. All we have to do is speak the word of God over satan. Jesus said, Luke 10:19 (KJV) – behold, I give unto you power to trend on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

If you were told to go play the lotto, and you are guaranteed to win, you would go play. Now, knowing “YOU” have power to defeat satan, use it, it’s in God’s word. His word is guaranteed. Put on your armor every single day to fight off Satan. . .
Ephesians 6:10-20 (KJV) – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness: and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

You have the power!! Now, get your joy back!!!

When we are wronged by someone and they have hurt us, more often, we want to pay them back with pain and suffering. We what revenge. Most of the time, the last thing we do is forgive. By not forgiving we rob ourselves from God’s blessings and his forgiveness.

In the bible, Joseph’s father loved him more than all his children. And his brothers hated him because of it. They threw Joseph in a pit, and sold him. He was bought off by Potiphar, whose wife tried to seduce him. He fled, so she lied on him, and Potiphar put Joseph in prison. But God had mercy on Joseph, and gave him favor. Pharaoh called on Joseph to interpret a dream, which pleased Pharaoh, so he made Joseph ruler over the land of Egypt. Joseph’s brothers came to him in need, and he cared for them, and forgave them saying; “…ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good…”

So you see, when others treat you wrong, it is God’s will for you to first pray for, and forgive them. Remember, God is working a good thing in you. Forgive them and watch God work it out for your good. He will EVERY TIME.

Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV) – For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trepasses.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven… Ecclesiastes 3:1(KJV)

When God bring people into our lives, some are there for a lifetime, and some are only there for a season. Those that are in our lives for a lifetime are to sharpen one another, build up one another. Those that are in our lives for a season, have served their purpose. We seem to try to keep them there longer than God intended. Don’t fight it, don’t manipulate the circumstances, but see it as coming from God.

Accept the blessings and let the season pass. Remember, God has your best interest at heart.

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4

We are to rejoice in the midst of our circumstances. Knowing that God is in control. Knowing that NOTHING is too BIG for God. He wants us to trust him. We put our trust in ourselves by focusing on our circumstances, with the thought that we can handle it, with the help of our own strength, our own knowledge, and our own resources. God is our resource and our strength. He wants us to come to him first. Not second, third, or when the bottom drops. . . But first. When we give our circumstances to him,  we have peace and are able to rejoice!

So, I say to you, REJOICE!!

We go through circumstances and blame someone else for what we’re facing. We reach out to others, and tell our story to validate the blame.

If we stop and think about it, it’s our decisions that got us where we are. The decisions we made along the way, is the reason we are at this point. Are we being accountable for where we are in our lives? Or, are we determined to blame someone else?

Seeing everything as coming from God, let’s us view things differently, and think differently.

Let us purposely change our thinking, which will change our decisions, and eventually, change our circumstances. Let us walk by faith regardless of what we see, and what we know.  Sometimes it’s uncomfortable, but it’s okay to be uncomfortable when you walk by faith. You’re trusting God!