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Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Honestly y’all, I’m having a moment lol. Anyone who KNOWS me knows that I always say “Follow your peace.” But lately, I have been wanting to go deeper because “I have peace about it” doesn’t always cut it for me. I’m not sure if it’s just me BUT sometimes I feel I have peace and other times, I question do I really have it? Like did God really say I should do this? Should I move forward, press pause, or stay still? Lately, a question I have been asking God is how do I know when you are warning me about something through a lack of peace vs. how do I know when I am just uncomfortable or scared? First, I want to offer you relief, it is okay to ask God questions. Don’t be scared. This topic has really been on my mind. And my mission is to tackle the questions: What does follow your peace REALLY mean in the bible? Is it a cop out? Is it reliable? Should I use it as the final say?
As Christians, we kind of use peace as this measurement or barometer of what to do in situations. Specifically, whether something is the right thing to do. Like should I take this job? Should I get into this relationship? Sometimes, I even think of peace as this “FEEL good” feeling. But is that really the “peace” God is talking about? Because as we know, our feelings can lead us astray. And that 100% “feel good” feeling could never come. I believe that peace is a real good thing but it may not mean what WE think it means.
Philippians 4:7 says that God gives us peace BEYOND understanding. Y’all this is a heavily quoted scripture that I have clung to and will continue to. However, as I look more closely to the scripture, it does not say to USE PEACE to determine God’s will (This is definitely what I have been doing.) I was reading this article and it said, “Peace is more of a byproduct of an already made decision.” In Philippians 1:7, Paul had peace because he already KNEW it was what he was supposed to do.
Here is what God downloaded into me, “You make the decision and PEACE will follow. The peace doesn’t just come in the decision but in the AFTER. “ You may be like, How is that possible? It is because the peace is NOT in the situation but in God. It is NOT a feeling but do you sense God’s presence in your decision? So I ask you this friend, for the decision you just made, Has TRUE peace followed it or has it been absent or even temporary? I think one of the keys is what I call a STAYING peace. A staying peace that does not waver because you are CONFIDENT in God. That is why God tells us beyond understanding because it is a perpetual peace that ONLY HE OFFERS. He is the peace.
Here are a few things that I read about that I thought was interesting (LINKS to articles attached below)——
“Feeling good or bad about decisions is not abnormal, and does not require Paul’s “peace that passes understanding.” The peace that Paul refers to is supernatural because extreme circumstance require extreme conviction, and sometimes extreme encouragement. Feeling good or non-conflicted is not peace in the biblical sense. Peace in the biblical sense is that jaw-dropping, “how does he do that” sense of security and firm conviction in the face of absolutely overwhelming odds and opposition where no sense of sense makes sense to accept it.”
This shook me a bit because it kind of goes against what I have believed. So I dug deeper and God showed me through an article that said, “As far as I can see there have been no biblical models of men who sought this peace, but instead we see the promise of peace as a result of stepping out in faith in God’s promises and believing He is who he said He is and will do all that he said he will do.”
This last quote sums up my understanding of it all…“The Bible does promise the peace of Christ, but it never guarantees complete peaceful feelings. There are often concerns in a decision, but the Lord gives us an underlying assurance that He will be with us and guide us through. Blaine Smith wrote the following about the peace of the Spirit——
“His peace is the grace that transcends our fears, allowing us to move ahead in spite of doubt. Emotional peace will not be experienced until after we step out in faith. Furthermore, waiting for absolute peace before making every major decision would be paralyzing. Taking the first step is vital to experiencing peace — and God’s blessings. Biblical faith is the resolve to forge ahead, despite the fear of change.” So what I got out of this whole thing is there is EMOTIONAL peace and SPIRITUAL peace.
Sis, my final take is that spiritual peace allows us to move forward because of the confidence in God. Peace is only ONE aspect of our decision making. James 1:5 says if we lack wisdom about something, so another way to KNOW you are making the right move is to JUST ASK God. So personally, I say Ask God to show you what to do and ask him to give you multiple signs on what to do. I know God hears our prayers and I find that he usually confirms his will to us in more one way. Yes, I listen to the peace but I also have to pray and read his word for clarity. Sometimes, He answers through your friends, messages from your pastor or an online pastor, or even through our own emotions. Look out for it all!! And after seeking Him FIRST and you get that go ahead, I say go for it!
Bomb articles and resources I referenced that you can read that explains it further:
http://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/making-godly-decisions (Includes questions at the END to ask yourself when making decisions.)