#1 – Internal Peace

We can cultivate internal peace by entering deeper trust, choosing rest, refusing fear, and releasing anxiety and worry.

Deepen Trust

We can cultivate internal peace by deepening our trust in the Lord’s faithfulness to guide, protect, and provide for us. When our human spirit leans on the Holy Spirit, we find strength to journey this life with all its challenges, heartaches, and trials.

“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind, and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” ~Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.” ~Isaiah 26:3 NASB

Choose Rest

We can choose rest when we allow our soul (mind, will, emotions) to bow before the Spirit of God.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” ~Matthew 11:28-30 WEB

We can incorporate peaceful pauses into our day. Peaceful pauses are when we take a few minutes to pause and enjoy the view outside our window, pause and take a deep breath to re-center, or stop to thank the Lord or someone near us for their kindness.

Refuse Fear

Fear can be a valid response in traumatic situations, yet time and again, God called us not to be afraid.

“For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.” ~2 Timothy 1:7 WEB

“Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.” ~Isaiah 41:10 WEB

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.” ~John 14:27 WEB

Release Anxiety and Worry

We can cultivate internal peace by choosing to pray, give thanks, and cast all our cares upon Him. Trusting in the Lord can break the chains of anxiety and worry as we release our fears to Him.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7 NASB

#2 – External Peace

We can cultivate external peace when we make intentional decisions to remain calm and balanced when we experience external stressors. Especially negative relationship interactions.

Calm Speech

A peaceful atmosphere is easier to maintain when we are quick to listen and slow to speak.

“So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.” ~James 1:19-20 WEB

We can improve and develop a peaceful atmosphere by choosing kind words over unwholesome words.

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” ~Ephesians 4:29 NASB

“But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self.” ~Colossians 3:8-10 AMP

Balanced Approach

Our carnal nature is tempted to be easily offended, bear grudges, hold resentment, and give ground to bitterness and unforgiveness. The Spirit of God calls our spirit man to take the way of escape from every temptation by refusing offense, grudges, resentment, and bitterness by granting forgiveness from our hearts.

“No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” ~1 Corinthians 10:13 WEB

When others ill-treat us, we are tempted to repay evil with evil, but it is wiser to entrust them to the Righteous Judge (and an earthly judge if there is a legal issue).

“See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:15 WEB

“And He [Jesus] will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear.” ~Isaiah 11:3 NASB

The key is to give none of our hearts to evil.

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. ‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” ~Romans 12:17-21 NASB

We must watch over our hearts, for from our hearts flow life and death.

“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.” ~Luke 6:45 WEB

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” ~Proverbs 4:23 NASB

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].” ~Proverbs 18:21 AMPC

We can speak life-giving words that build up and edify those around us. When we encounter toxic people, we can choose not to add kindling to their fiery words by refusing to engage with their toxic behavior. We cannot control other people’s behavior, but we can choose our response.

 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly].” ~Psalm 141:3 AMP

Let us intentionally guard our hearts, minds, and mouths from unwholesome words. Let us choose to develop and enhance external peace through our life-giving words and behavior responses.

#3 – Eternal Peace

Eternal peace transcends earthly peace. Earthly peace is usually based on circumstances, while eternal peace is based on a Person. Eternal peace can cause the falsely accused and the wrongly imprisoned to praise God.

[See Acts 16:16-40 where Paul and Silas were publicly beaten without a trial and cast into prison. Then, while praying and singing, God sent an earthquake to open the prison doors, which also opened the jailer’s heart to salvation.]

Eternal peace with God comes through Jesus Christ.

“Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~Romans 5:1 WEB

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” ~John 17:3 NASB

“The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” ~1 John 5:11-13 WEB

How to Cultivate Peacefulness

Peacefulness involves intentional practices that promote tranquility. Tranquility is being calm, peaceful, and free from stress.

We can cultivate internal peace by entering deeper trust, choosing rest, refusing fear, and releasing anxiety and worry. We can incorporate peaceful pauses throughout our day.

We can find eternal peace through Jesus Christ, and His peace will guard our hearts and minds.

We can cultivate external peace by making intentional decisions to remain calm and balanced when we experience external stressors. We can develop and enhance peace through life-giving words and intentional behavior responses.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” ~Philippians 4:4-8 NASB

We can cultivate peacefulness through prayer and by thinking about things which are:

• True
• Honorable
• Right
• Pure
• Lovely
• Of Good Repute
• Excellent
• Praiseworthy

Recommendations

Offense – To Be or Not to Be is the Ultimate Choice – Strength with Dignity

5 Ways to Overcome Our Fears – Strength with Dignity

How to Find God – Strength with Dignity

References

100 Bible Verses about Eternal Peace. Published by Open bible. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from What Does the Bible Say About Eternal Peace? (openbible.info)

100 Bible Verses about Inner Peace. Published by Open Bible. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from What Does the Bible Say About Inner Peace? (openbible.info)

100 Bible Verses about Relational Peace. Published by Open Bible. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from What Does the Bible Say About Relational Peace? (openbible.info)

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