Refocus: Three Ways to Have Real Peace

 Do you ever get overwhelmed with work? Do you ever get overwhelmed with kids? How about bills, spouse, money, having a nice house, driving a nice car, etc., etc., etc…? 

I get overwhelmed with these things and many more all the time. When is the raise going to happen? I have been waiting 3 years (truth, I have been waiting 3 years for the raise). When will my child start following God the way I raised them? How can I pay all these bills? I feel like I am further and further behind. Will I ever have a nice house that I can pass down to my kids?  

I do not know about you, but I have thought of all these things. So, when the questions of life become too much, what do you do? Do you continue to dwell and mull over the issues you face over and over in your mind? Letting these things steal your focus and your peace? Shoot, I did, and if I am being honest, maybe sometimes I still do. Even with my best effort not to. My effort alone is not good enough. But with God standing beside me and me focusing on His peace and His Word, that is enough. 

So how do we change our focus to God?  

There are three ways we can do this. Let’s look at the first way.  

1. Read God’s Word. 

How can you stand on God’s promises for you if you do not know what they are?  

Psalms 119:105 NLT says, Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. 

This verse is so true. You got a question about what to do about something? Open your Bible and read what God says about it. And in this day and time, we can literally search a question or topic, and it will pull up verses related to that question or topic. It is more accessible now than it has ever been. There is no excuse.  

So, to change your focus off of life and put it on God, you need to read the Word. 

If I need peace, I find out what the Bible say about peace.

Philippians 4:7 NLT says, Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 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.  

1 Peter 5:7 NLT says, Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  

Isaiah 26: 3 NLT says, you will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you. 

So, not only do you have to read the Word, but the next thing the Bible tells us to do is. 

2. Talk to God and Cast Your Cares On Him.  

Let God have control. Who struggles with that? The better question is who does not struggle with giving up control? We all do in some way. We cannot do it in our own strength. But God can and he will. He cares for you. He wants you to give it all to Him. His arms are big enough to hold the world and the universe. God can take on your cares and your questions and your struggles. And He wants to. He wants you to give it to Him and let Him walk beside you. Maybe even carry you through.

Colossians 3:15 NLT says, 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.  

So, we read the Word and get it deep in our hearts, we pray to God asking for his help and cast our cares on him. The next thing to do is.  

3. Accept the Holy Spirit.  

Holy Spirit is given to us as an advocate for us. He will teach us, and remind us of everything we have learned.  

John 14:26 NLT says, But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative- that is, the Holy Spirit, he will teach you everything and remind you of everything I have told you.  

I know it is hard to hear these things and then apply them to your life or your situation. I encourage you to try. 

About 4 years ago or so, I am really not sure when it started, I had a massive obstacle come up in my face. This obstacle would not move. I mean it was there ALL the TIME. I prayed to God, cried out to God, even. And fought what I knew he was saying. Fought it hard. I truly thought that what I was hearing was not from God because of everything I had been taught. This entire time, I gave up everything that was me. I stepped back from everything I loved and enjoyed doing. I lost myself. The entire time, things kept getting worse and worse. I finally reached out for help outside of my own ability. I needed help. With the wonderful help of close friends, I could refocus my life on Christ and get connected back to him. I started reading my Bible again, praying to God, and this time I took the time to listen. And I started listening to the Holy Spirit and letting Him guide me.

I finally listened to God a little over a year ago and made the biggest jump I have ever made in my life. But I said, ok, God, here I am, and I stepped out in faith. I refocused my life back on Him and He carried me the entire way. He was there when I took the leap, and He is still carrying me day by day. He has not left me at one moment. If I feel farther away from Him, I know it is because I have not been in his Word; I have not talked to Him, and I have not let the Holy Spirit lead me. It is me that has stepped back, not God. I can recognize it now. I know when I need to refocus on him.  

The peace I have now is so amazing and overwhelming; it is all-consuming. I have it because I gave God control over my life. Do I try to take it back? Maybe sometimes. But I refocus and long for that peace again, and it all comes rushing back.  

I encourage you to open the Word of God, read what it has to say about your situation.  

Pray and cast your cares on God and let him have control over that situation you are facing.  

Let the Holy Spirit guide you and lead you through the situation.  

The peace of God that comes down over you will be so consuming. It will fill ever part of your life. You will wonder why you let it get away before. I know I will do whatever it takes to get it back when the devil tries to steal it away again and again.