Building Character- Peace

In study and in writing about the things of God it is crucial to “correctly handle the word of TRUTH” (2 Timothy 2:15). With that said, let’s take a look at some character building passages.

James 1: 1-7 (Complete Jewish Bible)

“Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; for you know that the testing of your TRUST produces perseverance.  But let perseverance do its complete work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.  Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being tossed and driven by the wind.  Indeed, that person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.”

First, let’s understand that God is talking about TRUST  here where the King James reads “Faith” ….I think sometimes or should I say much of the time we don’t read and understand it as an actual ACT OF TRUST.  We can easily let it roll off as a denominational cliche’ like we do when we say “I’m Catholic, I’m Baptist, I’m Non-denominational.”  Trust is an ACTION!  YOUR FAITH IS AN ACTION!!   In the first verse of James 1 temptations is also translated as trials and troubles….ever feel like you have endless trials? Where you are constantly carrying worry and anxiety?  If you have children then YOU KNOW that trials come with the territory.  So, in a world that CAN be so very trying…where we can feel “like a wave in the sea being tossed and driven by the wind”,  how do we grab onto the peace of God and hold onto it??   How do we capture the “peace that surpasses all understanding” and have it dwell in our homes??   Well, the word perseverance here is defined in the Greek as patient continuance, to have fortitude.  Fortitude defined is COURAGE, RESILIENCE, BACKBONE, GRIT.  Our homes and families have been given to us BY GOD!  It is Your domain!!  Let me say this loud and clear…..YOUR HOME AND FAMILY ARE YOURS TO PROTECT!!  We have to have backbone and resilience and grit to fight the enemy and keep him at bay from our families!!!  We will encounter trials but ask yourself if you TRUST GOD enough to build your character WHILE pushing through them!

I was teaching my daughter something this morning relating to this very topic (so like God).  I gave her instructions on how to gain the place of PEACE and TRUST and I am passing it onto you.  Always remember your destiny,  your children’s destinies, and your family’s (as a whole) destiny is not the end but only the beginning of the bigger picture.  God’s plan for you and your family has a HUGE PANORAMIC plan….it’s not small or insignificant or anything that we usually see.  IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE WITH GOD!!  So,  as parents that want to “train up their children in the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6) we need to be about our FATHER’S business and not get tangled up in the cares and worries of life.   Let me say right here that if you do have children THEY ARE YOUR FIRST MINISTRY RESPONSIBILITY(Not secondary to ANYTHING)!!  Understanding that responsibility should drive you to your prayer place.  I like how the movie “The War Room” portrays our responsibility!!  GO TO YOUR “War Room”, take and put on your ARMOR OF GOD and defeat the enemy.  Pray for your family members and whoever God puts on your heart and be done.   When you’ve talked to Jesus about all you need to….THEN LEAVE IT IN HIS HANDS (TRUST HIM) AND BE ABOUT  YOUR FATHER’S BUSINESS…. THE BIG PICTURE!!!  THERE AND ONLY THERE IS WHERE WE HAVE PEACE!  If your attention is on raising up your children….then there’s literally no room for the worries of this temporal life!!  God’s got it!!!  He doesn’t need our help with finding the answers to our prayers.  He needs YOU to be busy about “the big picture”  and tending to your children!  When you pray it and leave it ….TRUSTING….and you take time for your babies….THAT pleases God and produces “Fruit”.  “But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, PEACE….!!!!!”  Where there is PEACE, THERE IS JOY and that is a priceless lesson to our children!!