And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
An instructor at a Christian academy was well known for his peaceful, serene demeanor. Several of his students took notice of their instructor, and they determined to know the secret to his calmness. One day the students approached him and asked, “We are harassed by many temptations which appeal to us so often and so strongly that they give us no rest. You seem to live untroubled by these things, and we want to know your secret. Don’t the temptations that harass our souls come knocking at the door of your heart?” The instructor looked at his students and replied, “Children, I understand that of which you speak. The temptations that trouble you do come and make their appeals to me. However, when they knock at the door of my heart, I answer, ‘The place is occupied.’ That is how I have peace, and how you can too.”
The enemy of our souls has many tactics to try to steal our peace, but as this teacher explained, God can deliver us from all of the enemy’s tricks! As was noted by the students in the story, one method that the devil often uses to upset us is nagging us with a particular temptation. Thankfully, God has promised to make a way of escape from any temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Or maybe the devil will try to steal our peace by causing us to fret about the outcome of a situation. We can rest assured that if we put our lives completely in God’s hands, there will be no reason to worry about the future (Matthew 6:31-34). God can overcome any challenge to our peace!
Our God is the God of Peace, and He can give peace to any individual, regardless of circumstances. The key, however, is that we cannot be half-hearted in our Christian walk. Holding back from Him causes confusion, distress, and worry. Just like the Christian teacher in the story, we must be resolute in our beliefs and not give the enemy any place in our hearts. If we allow God to have complete control, He will give us peace.
Do the things of this world seem to tug at you? Remember the bottom line: Who occupies your heart? Does God occupy it? If He does, you can turn away the temptations that come knocking. You can have peace in every situation, knowing God is the Lord and Savior of your life.