In this fast-paced and digital world, it’s easy to end up busier and more conflicted than we want or need to be. Many if not most of us are already there. We feel stressed out. We are sleep-deprived. We feel as if we are being pulled in many directions at the same time.
This is not the will of God for our life. He is not only interested in our spiritual condition but also He cares about our total quality of life. He wants us to enjoy more peace and less stress and strife in our life.
We should place a high value on having more peace in our life. “Better [is] a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife,” the Bible says (Proverbs 17:1, NIV). This verse underscores the priceless value of peace. Who wants to sit around the dinner table with only dry bread to eat? But in the eyes of God, such a mediocre meal along with peace is far better than having a great feast along with strife and discord.
One reason many of us experience so much stress and strife in our lives is because we are too preoccupied with the cares of this world. We lust more things and more money. The more we get the more we want, and no measure of these is ever enough. In turn, our life can become seriously imbalanced.
More Peace Through Lifestyle Changes
Is that you? If so, what kind of lifestyle changes are you willing to make to realize more peace in your life?
Notice that I referred to lifestyle changes and not just prayer. Of course, we should pray for more peace and less strife in our life. But simply praying is not enough when the excessive stress and strife in our life have been self-inflicted. To change things, action on our part is required.
How about cutting out some of the unnecessary busyness in your daily schedule, for instance? Or reigning in your excessive desire for material gain that consumes the church of today? Positive adjustments in these areas will afford more opportunities to sow seeds of more peace in your life.
I know that what I am saying in this post does not apply to everyone who feels stressed in life. Some of us find ourselves in stressful and strife-riddled situations through no fault of our own. For instance, caring for a child with special needs or an ailing parent are emotionally taxing—period. But many of us, most of us, have opportunity to effect more peace in our life.
In the eyes of God, the end does not justify the means. That is, preoccupation with feasts and material abundance in your life does not justify the resulting strife and stress. In His eyes, a piece of dry crust with peace and quietness is the better choice. What say you?
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.