God is the giver of peace.
It's throughout scripture.
When we focus our minds on Him, we are covered with His perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3
When we take our concerns to Him in prayer with thanksgiving, His peace that surpasses understanding will guard our hearts and mind. Philippians 4:6-7
Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Christ acknowledges that we will have trouble in this world, but He came that we might have peace. John 16:33
He establishes peace for us. Isaiah 26:12
We are to pursue peace. 1 Peter 3:11
He is our peace. Ephesians 2:14
I'm sure I could go on and on with scriptures about peace. But, I think we all know what it is like to be at peace. It's this amazing sense that everything is going to be just fine. It's the ability to rest without fear even when life is not perfect. If we are honest, peace is probably more easily defined as what it is not. It is not chaos and concern. It is not fear or anxiety. It is not being consumed with the difficulties of this life.
When I think of peace, I often think of Psalm 23 where David talks about the green pastures stretching out before him, the gentle streams flowing nearby. He refreshes our souls and provides comfort. It's the safety of being able to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Recently, I was introduced to The Peace Index, a book by my friend Jeremie Kubicek. I consider myself a generally peaceful person as I walk with the Savior, but we all have times when life can get to us and disrupt our peace.
Right now is one of those times.
Some situations happened this last week (which I will one day be able to share with you) that have disrupted the entire flow of my life. All of the peace I have worked to establish is being threatened. My life and schedule is getting ready to be totally upended.
I've wrestled with why this situation is having such a profound effect on me, and I've discovered that Jeremie's Peace Index is the perfect way to describe my dilemma.
Jeremie proposes that we each have a number that corresponds to our level of peace at any given time. Our level of peace affects our days, our interactions with other people, our ability to function at work--basically everything in our lives. If our peace is low, it will throw off every area of our lives.
Our peace index is an average of five separate scores.
People. Our relationships can have a profound effect on our peace. When our relationships are good, our peace is high. When our relationships are off, our peace index will drop.
Provision. We all wish money wasn't important, but we have to be honest and admit that our financial status can have a huge impact on our peace. When are finances are secure, we are more likely to be at peace. When our finances are in shambles, it severely affects our ability to be at peace.
Place. Do you have some place that you just love to be? I love water. For me, there's something so incredibly calming about water. Maybe it's the ocean or the lake or even a pool. It doesn't matter. Water puts me at ease. My oldest son loves the mountains. It's his happy place. What about your house? Is it a place that brings you joy? If not, what do you need to make it a place of peace? Maybe some twinkle lights in the back yard would cause your place to make you more at peace.
Personal health. Our health can have an impact on our peace in huge ways. While it's obvious that our physical health can affect our peace, what about our mental health? Our emotional health? Our spiritual health? We must find ways to be at peace with our health to have overall peace.
Purpose. And finally there's our purpose. We all have something for which we were created. If we read Ephesians 2:10, we see that we are God's masterpieces created for good works which He planned before time. For me, I was called at a very young age to ministry. Sharing God's word with others is absolutely my purpose. Any time I get to share the goodness of God with others, I well up with in inexpressible joy.
In The Peace Index, Jeremie argues that if we assign a number to each area listed above, total them, and then divide by 5, we will find our overall peace index. Any time one area is low, we will find our overall peace affected.
The question becomes what do I need to change to regain peace?
If my personal health is dragging my peace index down, I need to identify what I need to do to raise my personal health score. Maybe I need to start exercising more. Or eating more healthfully. Or maybe I need to prioritize time with God. Or maybe I need to seek counseling to work through some issues. Whatever I can do to raise my personal health score will have a positive impact on my overall peace index.
Or maybe it's my provision. If I have spent myself into debt, that will affect my provision score which will drive down my peace index. What do I need to change to raise my provision score? Do I need to come up with a budget and start a debt snowball? Do I need to find a new job that pays better? Whatever changes I need to make to my provision will also affect my peace index.
I could go on through each category, but I think you get the picture. What I have come to love about using The Peace Index is that it gives me the ability to identify what is negatively affecting me and it helps me identify ways I can increase my overall peace. It helps me put words to what I am feeling.
If I'm honest with you, a situation I am dealing with right now has a profound impact on every one of the areas listed above. Therefore, I anticipate I may need to make some drastic changes. It's not easy. I find myself seeking God, asking for His discernment and direction. I am asking Him to help me walk by faith and not by sight. I am asking Him to help my unbelief.
I long for peace. Peace is one of the most amazing gifts the Father gives us. What will I do to obtain His perfect peace?
