DEFINING 4 Major Categories of PEACE

DEFINING 4 Major Categories of PEACE (Peace from God, Worldly Peace, Peace from the devil – yup, and FALSE sense of Peace)

In this crazy world, we are all searching for peace. But do you know there is more than one kind of peace? Do you know what it means to have the peace God provides vs the other types of peace?

DEVIL’S PEACE

People do yoga, meditation, they pray to dead people or dead saints, etc., (and new age stuff, witchy stuff, pagan rituals) and they feel this peace. Yes, because the devil can give you temporary peace, peace that he will take back! Turn away from it, it is not helping you, it is not benefiting you. (This I learned from someone who knows way more than I do – they have had the Holy Spirit a very long time)

The devil is definitely going to take back that peace fast, if you are not fully committed to worshiping him. But the devil NEVER lets you keep peace. God gives you peace he doesn’t come and steal it back when you least expect it (I will talk about God’s peace last)

FYI: I was doing yoga and meditation before I had the Holy Spirit. I had no clue, no judgement here.

WORLDLY PEACE

I’ve had that peace where it feels like everything is going right in my life, I’ve got my checklist of things going right… love my home, financially doing well (saving and discretionary income), enjoy my job, relationships, having fun, involved in church, and my health is doing well enough to enjoy it all. AND I’m thinking I like got all the peace I need, everything is going great, so there can’t be more. Maybe little things go wrong, but they don’t bother me because I got my checklist of good things. Yes, God was blessing me, but this doesn’t mean I have the peace talked about in the bible. BECAUSE when multiple things started to go wrong, the peace vanished too! That’s when many people turn to whatever their stress coping mechanism is… drinking, gym, meditation, eating junk food, buying things, etc. possibly multiple things, and maybe praying too, but still not fully trusting in God, that God’s got it. So, you feel the stress, you worry, you get scared, maybe lose sleep, etc. Worldly peace is pretty much anything from this world… peace you feel doing hobbies, enjoying a relaxing vacation, buying stuff, etc.

FALSE SENSE OF PEACE

There is a “false sense of peace.” Many things in this world can cause a false sense of peace. You don’t have the Holy Spirit – the church doesn’t have the Holy Spirit, BUT still you walk into a church and you feel peace. You meet all these really nice people, and you think yes this church is filled with God’s presence, I will call this my church home. I’ve been there! This peace you feel doesn’t mean the truth is in the church. Your church could be a dead church and you might still feel this peace, and likely you’ll walk out of the church and the peace won’t follow you. When you have the Holy Spirit, and you have spent enough time in scripture, you know when a church’s pastor doesn’t have the Holy Spirit. (Read my Church Blog on “the wellness resolution”)

You might have a combination of worldly peace, false sense of peace, and the devil’s peace, and you are thinking, “I’ve got peace.” But when problems are piling up, all these things are going wrong in your life, will you still feel at peace?

GOD’s PEACE

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7

It’s unfortunate, but most people don’t realize they don’t have it, until they obtain it, and then they know. As the scripture says, “transcends all understanding.”

FYI: God’s peace is a gift available after you repent and receive the Holy Spirit.

There are times when I normally would have anxiety, stress, or fear, and I feel peace instead. God’s peace looks like all these things are going wrong, problem after problem, and you just sit back and go, “that’s fine, God’s got it.” And you don’t even stress (maybe you stress momentarily and then give it to God). BUT you don’t grab for the beer/wine, you don’t turn to your activity that you do when stressed (working out, eating junk food, or whatever it is) and yet you are at peace. There are different levels of this, where you might be able to stand in peace when a few things go wrong, but you have a limit that you reach. I believe people can spiritually grow to a point where they can stand in peace no matter what’s going on – I’m not there. (Paul experienced profound peace in jail). I’ve experienced God’s peace in many ways, I know I’m going to walk in it more and more as I spiritually grow. I’ve been told in order for God to give me bigger tasks, I have to be able to stand in peace.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27

God wants his children to have peace, not fear. When you have the Holy Spirit, you are not meant to live with fear. In some ways, I had to learn how to replace fear with peace.