The Forgotten Gift

I don’t know about you but as a fairly driven, to-do list keeping, on-the-go type of person myself, the idea of accomplishing and resting seem pretty opposite. Rest is something you do once in a while on a Saturday morning or during that week of summer vacation right?

In a culture that constantly pushes forward at a rapid pace, it seems night or day there is always something or someone that is demanding your energy and attention. The belief is that those who don't keep up with all the demands will fall behind and things will crumble apart.
And yet the biblical principal for accomplishment and success is quite the opposite of our mainstream way of life. The Bible says in Job 22:21 
“Submit to God, be at peace… in this way prosperity will come to you."

Even today in our world, peace is the hottest commodity. People go to great lengths to learn the secret of how to find it and keep it. The secret is found right there in the word of God and it isn’t a diet, a mantra or even a sunny beach. According to the bible the secret is to submit yourself to God. Simply put to be still and know that He is God. Stop and consider Him and His love for you - this is true peace. Adapt to this lifestyle as a believer the bible says and ..."prosperity will come to you."

I don’t know about you but prosperity coming to me sounds much more attractive than me having to chase it down! The truth is, peace has already been given as a gift to every believer by the only one who ever really had it to give and that was by the Prince of Peace himself, Jesus.



The moment when Jesus presented us with this gift is recorded in the Bible in John 14:7 when He said, “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.”

His gift of peace is a perpetual, unending supply that never runs out and cannot be taken away. The only way you and I can lose our peace is if we choose to let it go.

Thoughts of “what if”, “how” and “when” start flooding our mind and the next thing you know anxiety, fear, worry and disappointment have replaced our gift of peace with something else called stress. Stress is a life-stealer, taking days, weeks even years off of a persons life-span depending on how long it is allowed to work. Stress and peace cannot be in the same place.

Sometimes I think some people live so long with stress that when they finally get back into a place of  peace and resting, after a while they feel rest-less and unproductive. They have become so use to the feeling of being driven and pushed they have to re-train their soul how to let peace be in control again. The truth is making the decision to create a lifestyle of living in His peace can actually restore back the time that stress had taken away.

There is no level of work, family even calling that exempts you from the need to rest.

I encourage you today to go back and pick up your gift of peace. Let go of stress; cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. Become protective about your gift of peace. Re-train your thoughts to think thoughts of peace and not anxious stress-filled thoughts.

Judge God as faithful and let Him bring prosperity to you. Let Him lead you what to do instead of being driven to do. Give yourself permission to rest and live the life that Jesus died to give you. A life of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

I call you blessed,

Jen Tringale
www.jentringale.com