Good morning beloved!
I want to ask you a question? “Have you ever been so agitated by someone or something that you completely lost your peace?” Becoming agitated and angry because of people, situations, and circumstances can become a pattern of behavior that will rob you of your joy and peace.
Agitation is really a manifestation of fear that is designed to steal your peace. As challenging as it may seem, we must make a quality decision not to become agitated. An important thing to know about agitation is that it is fear-based. In fact, whenever agitation is present, it’s an indication that fear is there, and fear is produced by unbelief. In other words, when we don’t believe what God’s Word has to say about a particular issue, we will become afraid.
Why does the enemy attack us with agitation? He does it in an attempt to steal our peace, which happens to be one of the most valuable spiritual assets. Fortunately, when we grab on to the Word of God during times of agitation, it’ll settle our hearts with and calm our souls. In John 14:27 Jesus said,
- Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
The same peace that carried Jesus through His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane; the scourging with the cat-o’-nine tails; the crucifixion, and His trip to the pit of Hell and back is the peace He has left with us! Our job is to meditate on the Word of God and the peace of God during times of agitation. We must decide beforehand that we will not be agitated.
2 Peter 3:14 says,
- Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless…
When Jesus comes back, there are three things the Word mentions that He will be looking for: Purity, blamelessness, and peacefulness. MAINTAINING YOUR PEACE is as important as being morally sound, according to the Scripture. Therefore, we would do well to make sure we are receiving and MAINTAINING JESUS’ PEACE at all times!
The most challenging thing to do in the midst of extreme agitation is to MAINTAIN OUR PEACE; however, we must grab hold of the Word of God when we are agitated and disturbed. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us how to avoid becoming agitated:
- Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
God isn’t saying to be full of cares over some things and not others. He’s saying that we should refuse to take care concerning anything! This means, refusing to accept agitation when it tries to attack our minds and emotions.
I encourage you to a give thanks to God in the midst of every situation or agitating encounter. When you do this, you will return to the peace of God.
MAINTAINING MY PEACE,
Lisa Gordon
Assistant Pastor
Jesus City Church