In yesterday’s discussion about one of the paths to peace we suggested a practical way to prepare yourself to pursue peace throughout the day is to visualize “putting on” the character you want to be known for, the character that nurtures peace in your life and those whose lives you touch.
The Bible says that those who believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and are committed to being fully devoted followers should have a certain sense of not being ‘at home’ here on earth. That is, we enjoy the blessings of this present time on earth. But we have to make a decision about where our real citizenship remains. If you are interested in a practical life application assessment of this, you might reflect on tough questions like:
- Am I so comfortable in my current situation that I can’t bear the thought of moving somewhere else?
- Could I be just as content living in a house half the cost of mine?
- Do I enjoy spending time with my friends so much that I really don’t have time or much interest to share with other people?
- How many non-Christian friends do I have?
- Would I rather spend time learning about my favorite sports team than reading God’s Word?
- Does the thought of spending an hour in prayer sound attractive, boring, or frightening?
- What is the most important thing I have learned in life, and how am I applying this in my daily life?
As you put on each article of clothes today you can meditate specifically as you put on the:
- belt of truth buckled around your waist
- breastplate (shirt/undershirt) of righteousness
- shield of (shirt/sweater/jacket) of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one
- with your feet fitted with the (shoes of) readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
- helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Prepare your mind to stay the course and your hands ready to fight against evil. Real power comes from the Word of God which is alive in you. You can’t have it without reading it, meditating on it, and applying it to you life.)
Getting dressed each morning by visualizing the armor of God, prepares you for the battles of the day, those that are seen and those of the mind and spirit which are unseen, but nonetheless very real. Stand firm and you really can experience peace in the middle of life’s most threatening storms.
Today marks 4 months of being cancer free. Thank you God for the immense mercy You have shown me every-single-day of this unexpected journey through Leukemia. Even on the toughest days of this ongoing battle, you have helped me to stand firm in your armor. And when I had no strength to fight, you, my One True God, fought for me, so I could be at peace even in the middle of the battle.
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:14-18