The Prince of Peace

By Lynette Hagin

We have more conveniences and luxuries today than ever before. And with all these conveniences, you would think that we would have more time and peace in our lives. But just the opposite is true. Instead of having more time, we have less. And instead of being more peaceful, many people today don’t have any peace.

Of course, we cannot experience true peace without knowing the Prince of Peace. And to know the Prince of Peace, we must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. For it is only through Jesus that we can be at peace with God (Rom. 5:1).

Many people have accepted Christ as their Savior, but they haven’t accepted Him as their Peace Giver. Jesus is not only our Savior—He is also our Peace and our Problem Solver.

What is peace? Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary gives one definition of peace as “freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.” The Hebrew word shalom is often translated “peace” and carries the idea of wholeness—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

One of the main reasons most of us don’t have peace is that we are trying to work things out by ourselves. But instead of trying to be our own problem solver, we are instructed in the Bible to commit our ways to the Lord and trust Him to help us in every situation (Ps. 37:5).

Another reason some of us lack peace is that we don’t commit all of our ways to the Lord. We commit to Him only some of our ways. But God is concerned about everything that concerns us. And if we’ll only ask, He’ll give us whatever we need in any circumstance.

To live in peace, we must guard our minds and control our thoughts. The mind can be a powerful ally or a terrible enemy. Many people today look to antidepressants to control their thoughts. But that’s not where the answer is. The answer is found in the Word of God.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” When the Apostle Peter instructed us to cast all our cares on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7), he meant all of them, not just some of them.

Satan specializes in worry, fear, anxiety, confusion, and doubt. And he will bombard our minds with those things if we allow him to. The Devil is not a gentleman. If we leave the door open just a crack, he’ll kick it wide open.

Our minds are the only entrance Satan has into our lives. That’s why it’s so important that we not let him dominate our thoughts. If we allow ourselves to think negatively and worry, we will be defeated. We cannot think defeat and expect victory. We cannot think sickness and expect health. We cannot think poverty and expect wealth.

Satan constantly tries to fill our minds with negative thoughts. He tries to confuse us and keep us from the peace we can experience in God. However, we don’t have to give in to fear or worry if we keep our minds on the Lord.

PHILIPPIANS 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

It’s up to us to make our minds think on things that will build us up, not tear us down. When Satan tries to bombard our minds with fear and doubt, we must force ourselves to remember the things that God has done for us. We must focus on the positive.

If we’re thinking about the good things of God, we won’t have time to worry, complain, or get discouraged. Meditating on God’s promises will fill us with a good report.

God’s report says we’re healed (1 Peter 2:24). His report says we’re more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37). His report says we’re rich and not poor (2 Cor. 8:9) and that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13). His report says that we have a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7) and that we will always triumph in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14).

We must stop thinking about what we don’t have and start thinking about what we do have in Christ. Quit thinking about what is wrong and begin thinking about what is right. To see our problem solved, we can’t think about how big our problem is. We must dwell on how big our God is. No matter what we face, God is big enough!

When our minds are focused on the Lord, we won’t care what happens in the economy. We’ll have the assurance that our Heavenly Father is constantly watching over us. Don’t forget, God still has the recipe for manna and can rain it down from Heaven anytime He needs to!

Whenever difficulties arise, I encourage you to find scriptures to stand on. When we take the “medicine” of God’s Word, it will heal our minds, our bodies, and our emotions. And best of all, God’s medicine doesn’t have any harmful side effects.

So let’s trust in the Lord with all our hearts. As we do, we will receive the peace that passes all understanding from our Savior, Jesus, the Prince of Peace.