A peaceful without exasperation...

"I leave you peace, I give you my peace, I do not give you as the world gives, let not your heart be troubled, and be not alarmed." John 14.27

"I've had enough ! It exasperates me !"

How many times have you pronounced or thought these words ? Very often, as far as I'm concerned. But I found out that it was possible not to spend each day in a state of frustration and exasperation. It is not the life God wants for us.

Jesus said : "... I leave you my peace, my peace which I give you. This gift has nothing in common with what the world can give, with its own peace, be anxious, and be troubled, and banish all fear of your hearts" (John 14:27).

There is a world peace that we experience when everything goes the way we want. But the peace Jesus gives is totally different. It is a peace that surpasses our understanding, which keeps us peaceful when human logic wants us to be troubled.

We can decide not to let ourselves be disturbed, exasperated and frustrated. Even if we think that we can do nothing about it, Jesus asserts the opposite. The peace he offers us can keep us from irritation.

We must understand that it is our responsibility not to let our hearts be troubled or give way to fear. We will never get rid of any of these pitfalls until we have assumed responsibility for our state.

Most people simply try to impute their problems to a person or situation - an unhappy childhood, a lack of education, their nationality, their personality - and invent an apology for being as they are. We can not take excuses from the facts of our past, or our present, to remain as we are. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about.

I grew up in a chaotic home, in an unstable, unpleasant atmosphere, marked by alcohol, anger and all kinds of abuse. However, I learned that if I wanted to lead a life different from what I had experienced in my childhood, I had to take responsibility for my actions.

I remember the day when I became aware that living with frustration, exasperation and anxiety was doing me a lot of harm. All I was harvesting was headache and backache, a sullen mood and regret at having said things I should never have said.

When I gradually learned to take responsibility for my behavior and say : "If I really want God to help me change, he will," the situation began to evolve. It was not easy and it did not happen overnight. But the more I relied on the help of God and chose to behave like Christ instead of yielding to my old nature as soon as I was upset, the more I progressed. I learned to live with the peace that Jesus gives.

Action for Today

May you confess : "With the help of God, I do not need to be constantly frustrated or frustrated. I can stay calm and in peace." The ability to remain calm and even tempered in difficult times can be one of your most eloquent testimonials for a troubled world.

Joyce Meyer

Source (The Thought of the Day)