Back in the 1970s when my friend first entered the prophetic ministry, everyone seemed to stress the importance of discovering the will of God for every area of our lives. People fasted and prayed for weeks on end, asking God who they were supposed to marry. So, my friend assumed he had to do the same thing. So, he fasted and prayed for a whole day. On the second day he felt the Lord tap him on the shoulder and ask what he was doing.
I really want to marry the right woman he said.
have you got anyone in mind the Lord asked.
Well yeah, he replied.
Do you like her, the Lord continued.
A lot he said.
OK, the Lord said with a chuckle.
Confused, my friend went to talk to one of his mentors: I’m really praying about Heather and me getting married he said.
“Do you love her” the mentor asked.
I do, he said.
Well, he said, ask the Lord if he has any objections, and if he doesn’t say anything, marry the girl.
So, my friend did, and he learned an important lesson. God wants us to choose what we do with our lives. If he doesn’t like our choice, he’ll make that clear. God is in the business of producing mature sons and daughters who can think with the mind of Christ, not a bunch of spiritual babes who need a word just to brush their teeth in the morning.
Soon after my friend was interviewed by three different companies for a job. As the businesses mulled over the candidates, my friend asked God which one he preferred. The best-case scenario would be that all three would offer him a job, and he wanted to be sure he took the one God ordained for him. What did God say during that intense time? Nothing.
When the largest of the three companies called him and offered him the best salary package he could expect, he gave God another chance. If the Lord didn’t say anything to him that night, he would take the job. After all, he wanted to be paid well.
The next morning, he woke up and his first conscious thought was an uneasy feeling about the job. His peace was gone. He picked up the phone, called the company, and turned down their offer. It hadn’t felt right, and God had lifted his peace to show him the way he wanted him to go. Other people of course thought he was crazy.
A few days later, the second best job was offered to him. Again, he told the lord that he would accept the position the next day if the Lord didn’t say anything to him. Again, he woke up feeling uneasy and turned it down.
He ended up taking the job with the smallest company. God could have just told him from the start to take that position, but the Lord didn’t. Instead, the Lord wanted him to learn how to discern the boundaries he had placed around his will for my friend’s life. The Lord used the lack of peace to eliminate the jobs that weren’t for him.
It turned out to be the right decision. Within six months the first company had gone bankrupt, and everyone had lost their job. Three months after that, the second company was bought out, and the division that he would have been working in was dissolved. But at the job he took, he was promoted several times. He started as a training professional and ended up as a business development manager.
The Lord knew the place that he wanted for my friend, but the Lord didn’t feel that he needed to say anything to him up front. He had given him peace as a guide, and my friend used it.
Jesus came to bring peace to the world. He gives us peace in a world full of tribulation and antagonism. Peace is the ability to not let our heart be troubled (John 14: 27) because we know that it is peace that enables us to overcome in circumstances-John 16: 33.
The path of peace- Romans 3: 17-is to become spiritually minded-Romans 8: 6-and to pursue peace as a way of life. Peaceful people are always the most edifying and encouraging-Romans 14: 19.
I am diligent about entering and enjoying my peace every day-Hebrews 4: 11. Rest is a state of promise for all God’s people-Hebrews 4: 1. We should rightly be concerned about inhabiting this most beautiful place. Initially we must work at practicing rest, so that eventually we become it. We practice rest and peace by pushing away the opposites. I will not allow anxiety, fear, unbelief, worried, panic, or any other negative to settle in my heart or mind.
I push them away while at the same time rejoicing that Jesus is my Prince of peace. I will not allow myself to get harassed by circumstances. I want peace; therefore I must pursue it. The God of Great Expectations loves to fill our hearts with joy and peace in believing-Romans 15: 13-so that we are super confident in who the Holy Spirit is for us.
God is not the author of confusion, but peace. In my experience, many people say they are confused when actually they are disobedient. Their confusion is a mask; they really want to control the conversation and steer it away from the requirements of obedience. When I release my peace, it has no effect on them because they are not really seeking the Lord.
The Lord himself continually grants us peace in every situation-2 Thessalonians 3: 16. We cannot discuss our way into peace. Peace does not come because we have settled an issue and answered all the questions. Peace is not the result of what we do or talk about. It’s a precursor. It’s a forerunner of His presence. It exists in advance of our circumstances being resolved. We have peace, now let’s talk. We always live from peace, not towards it. I do not push negatives away in order to obtain peace, I have peace. I am refusing to allow my peace to be disturbed.
In the matter of the will of God, therefore, peace is the arbiter, the umpire that decides a way forward.
Colossians 3: 15-let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; And be thankful.
The peace of God that passes all understanding-Philippians 4: 7-is what guards our hearts and minds. Peace does not come because we understand something. It is present before our awareness is complete. Peace upgrades our perception, not vice versa.
In decision making, God does not have to tell us everything. He has given us peace. When we have peace, we keep moving forward. When our peace is disturbed, we stop and ask questions. In some cases, our lack of peace indicates a no solution. Other times it may signal a wait/not yet resolution that needs clarifying. Peace is designed to teach us sensitivity so that we listen differently. We develop maturity more quickly through peace than through training. The way of peace is like higher education. It takes us to another level so we can process life in a different way. I love the lessons of peace, but it is really the road less traveled.
If the father is not talking verbally, he will speak through the process of peaceful elimination. Our options are first reduced until the chosen path lights up. It’s just one of the ways to make us people of his presence. Jesus said my peace will go with you.