Believe it or not, but there is something much more important than money on this earth. May not seem like it to some, but there is. Aside from Salvation, of course. This one thing is so important and valuable that rich people spend all of their money trying to obtain it. People will buy all of the alcohol, drugs, engage in all of the promiscuous sex, spend all of their time at the clubs and more just to obtain it.
What am I talking about?
I'm talking about peace of mind.
Yes, peace.
I'm pretty sure you've heard of millionaires and billionaires, high-profile celebrities and wildly successful people committing suicide. And usually, the world is left wondering, "Why? What happened? They had everything anyone could ever want!"
Yeah, everything except peace of mind.
A tormented mind is worse than being covered in paper-cuts and bathing in a tub of alcohol. Yeah, it's that bad (sorry for the imagery). But depression is torture. Anxiety is torture. The Bible tells us, "...fear hath torment" (1 John 4:18). Torment is defined as "severe physical and mental suffering." When a man or woman lacks peace, they're tormented, suffering, in a place of agony. No wonder they turn to the bottle, drugs, or anything that will dump a little dopamine into their bloodstream and provide them a mental escape!
And yet, the path to peace couldn't be clearer.
To find peace, here are three things you must do:
Turn to the Prince of Peace. Who am I talking about? Isaiah 9:6 says, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus in that passage. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. And He told us in John 14:27, "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" (NIV).
Trust in the Prince of Peace. It's one thing to turn to God, but another thing to trust Him. When Jesus told His disciples (and us), "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid," He was letting them (and us) know...God has us in His hands. He got us! When we're walking close to Him, He is protecting and guiding us and taking care of our affairs. But trusting God means we must step into God's will and focus on that rather than our ambitions. You see, where God guides, He provides. But when we lead our own lives and choose to walk outside of God's will, we have to be responsible for every provision, and that's where the stress, worry and anxiety comes from. Give up control and let God take control of your life.
Realize that as a Believer, you have power over your thoughts, so stop allowing your thoughts to rule over you. That's what Paul told us in 2 Corinthians chapter 10. We can "cast down" every thought and "imagination" that pops up in our minds and seeks to cause us anxiety and depression. If it's a thought that isn't consistent with what God's Word says about us, we have the right and an obligation to reject it and cast it down. And if it's a guilty conscience due to sin, simply repent, submit to God, seek after Him, and realize that you've been forgiven - Satan is the one trying to keep you in a state of shame, making you think God is done with you (which is a lie).
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