There was a prophet in the Old Testament that was speaking about the coming of the Messiah. He said that a child would be born and will be called Prince of Peace, and because of the greatness of his government, there will be no end to his peace.
Have you ever thought: At what point we will see a government that ends all wars and where we experience peace on earth? I have been a resident of this planet for over a half-century now and there seems to be more conflict today than ever before. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to war, violence, crime, or hate.
With marriage breakups, poverty, mass shootings, addiction and overdoses: where is the end? If there is a time where we need a Prince of Peace who would come and bring peace to this earth, this is the time.
But the problem is that Jesus never intended to bring peace through nations, governments, or institutions. He meant to establish his own government of peace. He desires to bring peace to his own nation, his own kingdom, in the human heart. The Prince of Peace was designed to be YOUR Prince of Peace. Peace is supposed to reign inside you regardless of the lack of it outside of you. So the war that we need to fight is not the war outside us, but the war inside us.
The problem is not that there is a lack of peace in the world, but that there is very little peace inside the human heart.
I am not mitigating the fact that there is such violence in our world, but the only way to reduce the terror outside is to reduce the terror inside. The effort to create more peace is always an inside-out approach.
The emotions of anxiety, worry, anger, hurt and fear has found a home inside of us, and when those emotions linger, they start sucking life out of us and that is what death looks like. People are dying on the inside and that death will always work itself out. People “act out” what they feel inside.
The problem is not that people feel these emotions, it’s that they feel them for long periods of time. Carrying these emotions around is like carrying a heavy weight. The brain releases cortisol and this stress hormone does wonderful things to help you survive and overcome threats. However, if the brain is in a continual state of releasing cortisol, your body will begin to age much quicker.
Adrenaline is known to accelerate heart rate, inhibit digestion, constrict blood vessels and decrease hearing and vision. Cortisol production increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels, hardens arteries, increases fat storage and lowers growth hormone. The result? It wears our bodies down. People age quicker.
We must master our emotions to live life more fully!
Another tool to incorporate into your life is to train your brain to think different thoughts as you encounter a difficult situation.
Example: When facing a challenging situation: What are three ideas or thoughts you could focus on that are positive, encouraging, and joyful? Spend the next 15 – 30 minutes focused on these inspiring ideas.
Your brain cannot think about two things at one time, so choose what your mind stays focused on. Remember, the emotions of anxiety, fear, and anger all have an expiration date when you replace these emotions with positive thinking.
Do yourself a favor today, and start your day by organizing your brain with three positive and joyful thoughts, then keep returning to them all day long. Enjoy a peaceful day because you are peaceful!