It is very common for Christians to pray and ask God to give them peace. But if a Christian listens carefully (and reads the Bible diligently), the Lord responds by saying: “I have already given you peace. Now it is your responsibility to activate it.” The evil one does not want you to activate and operate by the peace that God has given you. The enemy wants you to operate by the sin nature that still resides within you. Therefore, the evil one does everything he can to stimulate your sin nature. He does everything he can to disrupt you and disconnect you from God’s peace.
If you want to experience the peace of God, you have to fight for it. It’s a spiritual battle. At the heart of the battle is what you choose to focus on and give your attention to. Scripture teaches this and science confirms it. People are not very good at focusing. We often give their attention to the wrong things. I have written about this before: Just because something gets your attention doesn’t mean it deserves your attention. It is imperative that we bring discipline to what we focus on and pay attention to. It is key to activating the peace of God in our lives.
> Focus on your new nature, not your old nature. Set your mind on the things of the Spirit, not the things of the flesh. Whatever you focus on and feed will grow stronger in your life. The enemy wants you to pay attention to the old nature; the Lord wants you cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Fight and win that battle. Note in the Romans passage below that peace follows what you focus on.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6)
> Focus on what you can control, not on what you can’t control. People waste an enormous amount of time focusing on, complaining about, and worrying about things they do not control, which only takes time away from investing in things they can control. Give your attention to things that are you are able to influence. Control the controllables!
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4.8-9)
> Focus on solutions, not problems. Problems exist and are very real. But your attention, time, and energy should be invested in solving. Don’t dwell on the problem, focus on solving the problem. Followers of Jesus should be relentless, world-class problem-solvers.
> Focus on what needs to be done, not on how you feel. How you feel is not a good reference point for what you should do. This is why scripture repeatedly tells us to “flee youthful passions” and to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” and to reject “deceitful passions.” Pretty clear, isn’t it? If you pursue the passions of the sin nature, don’t expect to experience the peace of God. Live by the principles of scripture, not the passions of the flesh.
> Focus on giving, not taking. There are two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. No one likes a taker. Be a giver. This is Jesus’ message in Mark 10: “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The Lord blesses and empowers those who seek to serve. He did not give you his peace so that you could serve yourself; He gave you his peace so that you could serve others.
> Focus on vision, not circumstances. Paul writes in Philippians how a kingdom focus affected the way he responded to circumstances in his life. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil 4.11-13).
Paul’s mindset of contentment and peace was unaffected by his circumstances. Why? Because he did not focus on the situation; rather, he focused on trusting God. Remember that peace is the fruit of the Spirit. If you want the peace that the Spirit brings, you must trust God and walk in the Spirit.
