Even when I became a believer, I still thought I could achieve approval only through good works. I didn’t understand the simple fact that Jesus loved me, and God’s grace just didn’t make any sense to me. But eventually I learned that God’s grace is better than our works.
Works breed reasoning and anxiety that will eventually strangle our peace. Grace and works are two totally different entities, which cannot partnership together. If grace has anything to do with works, then it’s no longer grace, and if works have anything to do with grace, then they’re no longer works. Romans 11:6 explains, “But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless].” Even after putting God first, I had to learn to let grace (God’s power) bring about the fruit of my ministry.
I had no peace when I tried to accomplish through works what was in my heart to do. As you will read shortly, I couldn’t even enjoy a relaxing bubble bath as long as I thought works would help me find my answers. It was several years ago that God brought this vivid lesson to my attention.
I had already seen tremendous growth in our ministry through national radio and TV. My secretary at that time, who was also our office manager, and her husband, who was our bookkeeper, lived in an apartment in the lower level of our home. They had been with us for several years and took care of our house and teenage son whenever we traveled.
Consequently, we talked a lot about business in our house. God had been trying to teach me that I needed to delegate work and stay out of some things if I wanted to have peace in my life. He had been showing me I should let Dave handle some of the things that frustrated me, and that I didn’t even have to know about them. I could just go on about my business.
But one night, I knew Dave was going to discuss some business matters with that couple, and I wanted to hear them too. Even though God had instructed me to let Dave handle many of the things that were stealing my peace, I still wanted to get in on everything. So this particular night, I put aside some things I really needed to do in order to sit in on their meeting. They just kept talking about other things, and it seemed to me that they weren’t going to discuss business issues after all, so I finally said something about getting started.
Dave said, “Well, we’re just not ready yet. Why don’t you go ahead and take your bath?” So, reluctantly, I went upstairs and ran the bathwater and got into the tub, but as soon as I did, I heard everyone talking downstairs and realized they were starting their business meeting. There I was, a grown woman, nearly fifty years old at the time, and I wanted to hear what they were saying so badly that I got out of the bathtub and tried to listen to their conversation through the grate in the floor!
When that didn’t work, I went to open the bathroom door so I could listen from the stairway, when suddenly the Holy Spirit made me realize how stupid I looked. I remember His saying to me, “Why don’t you just get in the bathtub, Joyce, and mind your own business?”
I tell all this to help you realize that I know firsthand how difficult it is to let go of works and to trust God’s grace to carry us where we want to go. I know how difficult it is to delegate jobs to other people and then trust that those jobs will be done properly without any involvement from us.
If we cannot let the grace of God work for us in small areas, we will never learn to let it work for us in the big ones. I was so nosey, I could not even stay in the bathtub when I thought Dave was discussing business and I wasn’t going to know what was going on. That being the case, how could I ever advance to trusting God to take care of larger matters?
God wants you to understand that you have two choices: You can enjoy your life while He takes care of what needs to be done for you, or you can labor and struggle in vain through your own works. He is willing to build your life or allow you to do it, but His grace and your works are not both going to bring results that you want. If you choose His grace, you will have to lay aside the works of your flesh you are planning to do.
God wants us always to be in a position of trusting Him. Worry is the work of our flesh and is unscriptural. Worry, reasoning, and frustration are internal types of work that do not please God. To worry is to torment yourself with disturbing thoughts, and is a clear indicator that God is not first in your life.
GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR TODAY
God will give you all the grace you need for today, and He will also give you grace for tomorrow, but as I’ve said, tomorrow’s grace won’t show up until tomorrow. The grace of God is just like manna was to the Israelites; every morning the manna came down out of the sky and was enough for that day. Whenever someone tried to store up provision for the next day, it rotted. It’s the same way with grace. We are to learn to live our lives one day at a time.
When we have to stand in faith and believe God for a breakthrough in an area, we want to know immediately when the answer will come. God’s answer is that it will come—one day at a time. And worrying or trying to make it happen will not help it come any faster.
The Lord’s Prayer will help you stay in peace while you are waiting for a breakthrough. In Matthew 6:11, Jesus taught us to pray, saying, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God wants us to pray every day for whatever provision we need for that day. Jesus also said to “stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried)” about our lives (v. 25).
I realized I was frustrated as soon as I got up in the mornings. I was always in such a hurry, no matter what I was doing, I had my mind on the next thing I needed to do. As I was brushing my teeth one morning, I discovered I was hurrying because I was thinking about making the bed, and God told me, “Slow down. Brush your teeth.”
God continued to show me how misplaced priorities were robbing me of the peace and enjoyment in my life. I’d rush to make my bed, but because I never kept my mind on what I was doing, I was already anxious about the next thing I needed to do. As I started making the bed, I thought, I better lay out some meat to thaw for dinner. So I’d leave the bed half made and rush downstairs to get meat out of the freezer, but on the way there I’d see a pile of dirty clothes and think, I better put those clothes in the washer and get the laundry started. Just as I put soap in the washer, the phone would ring, so I ran back upstairs to the kitchen to answer the phone.
While I talked on the phone, I realized that I needed to load the dishwasher, so I put a few dishes in the dishwasher as I talked. But then whoever was on the phone said, “Would you like to go to town with me?” and I’d think, Well, I do need to get some stamps to mail some letters, so I’d hurry to get dressed to go to town.
I’d carry on like that all day, never finishing what I started. By the time Dave came home, everything was in shambles and he asked casually, “So, what did you do all day?”
That offended me and I threw a fit, saying, “What do you mean, what did I do all day? I’ve been running around here like a maniac trying to work!”
Now, that is not the way to enjoy your life. That is anxiety! And anxiety is work that never accomplishes anything.
Peace begins with our keeping priorities straight moment by moment. It is a challenge to thoroughly enjoy every moment that God gives us. But when we learn to do this, we will enjoy our days. When we learn to enjoy our days, we will find that we are enjoying our lives.
We can learn to enjoy making the bed, doing laundry, and washing the dishes. We can enjoy getting meals for our families, going to the grocery store, and taking time to talk with friends. If we don’t enjoy every phase of our day, we will miss the life that God intended for us to enjoy.
Life cannot just be filled with things that are fun to do. But we can enjoy the more mundane things that we need to accomplish by staying filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says, “Ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.” We can do this by singing spiritual songs while we work, and by keeping an attitude of praise in our hearts and talking to the Lord as we work. We st
ay filled with the Holy Spirit by giving thanks to God as we go about our daily tasks (see vv. 19-20).
If you have never hummed a little tune as you worked, you will be surprised at how quickly this simple act lifts your spirit. The Lord designed us, so He alone knows what it takes for us to enjoy our lives and be free from anxiety. Keeping a melody in our hearts and an attitude of praise toward God will keep Him in first place on our list of priorities.
I challenge you to examine your life and ask yourself: How much of my life am I wasting on anxiety? You won’t have peace if you waste too much of it. Time is something that we can never get back. Learn to enjoy all of your day. Have fun even while doing strenuous chores. And don’t waste time worrying or being frustrated about circumstances that you can’t change.
GIVE GOD THE BEST PART OF YOUR DAY
I’ve trained myself now to start each day by giving God the firstfruits of my time. I’ve realized that I’m not going to get through the day peacefully if I don’t spend time with God.
So, each morning, I get coffee, and usually while still in my pajamas, I just spend as much time with God as I need to in order to feel I can behave properly and walk in the fruit of the Spirit throughout the day.
When I first started doing this, I used the time to murmur to God about all my trials in life, so one morning the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Now, Joyce, are you going to fellowship with Me this morning, or with your problem?”
I learned to use the best part of my day to give God the best part of my heart. Giving God the first moments of the morning helps keep my priorities straight for the rest of the day. In fact, I’ve written a little book that will help you get in the habit of beginning your day with God, called Starting Your Day Right. Each short devotion encourages you to meditate on God’s Word during this time and reminds you to ask Him to help you rely on His grace your whole day.
Don’t use this gift of time with God to meditate on your problems. Don’t spend that time worrying about all the things that you want God to do for you that He’s not done yet, or trying to figure out ways you can get Him to do them. During this time with God, set your heart as the psalmist did, who wrote, “But I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God. My times are in Your hands” (Psalm 31:14-15, italics mine).
The Bible says to “lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes” (Proverbs 3:5-7).
What’s the sense in our saying that we trust God, then spending our day trying to figure out how and when our problems will be solved? God wants to hear us say, “Lord, I don’t know how You’re going to do this. I don’t care how You do it. However You do it, I know it’s going to be right. I can’t do it anyway, so I’m not going to frustrate myself trying to figure out how I can do it, God. I trust all my circumstances to You. My times are in Your hands. Trusting You is my first priority in life.”
STAY IN PERFECT PEACE
God wants us to enjoy perfect peace, and we cannot do that unless we give Him our worries. “Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
The way you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God is to refuse to try to figure everything out. Reasoning and worry are works of our flesh. Remember, as I said at the beginning of this chapter, peace will come by grace, but not by works.
Ezekiel 20:40 says that we should bring the Lord our firstfruits, the choicest selections of all our offerings. To stay in perfect peace, we should give God the best of our time and our goods. We must be honest with ourselves about what our priorities really are and start making changes to keep God in first place.
Being too busy is not an acceptable excuse for not keeping focused on what is truly important. Everyone sets his or her own schedule. We need to establish boundaries, and we need to learn to say no when people ask us to do something that leads us away from peace (I will talk more about saying no in the next chapter).
Be honest with yourself as you examine how you spend your time. Don’t give God your leftovers; don’t give Him the part of your day when you’re worn-out and you can’t think straight or hardly keep your eyes open. Give God the firstfruits of your attention. Give Him the best part of your day. That’s where your real priorities will be found.
God needs to be your priority in everything you do. From getting dressed to setting your schedule, you can ask God for wisdom to make choices that will glorify Him. You can intermingle your time with God into everything you do to such a degree that you can pray without ceasing (as I suggested earlier, pray your way through the day). As you become aware of His presence, it will not be possible to compartmentalize God or separate secular activities from sacred ones. Even ordinary events will become sacred because He is involved in them.
You can just talk to God as you go about your day, asking Him to direct you in the choices you are making and to empower you for the jobs you need to get done. As you acknowledge that God is always with you, you will keep Him first in everything you set out to do, and He will show you a direct path that will lead you to peace. You will experience pleasure, knowing you are partnering with God in all you do.
Following the moment-by-moment leading of the Holy Spirit will cause you to enjoy every day of your life. The Spirit of God is creative; His mercies are new every morning, so if you follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, He will keep your priorities straight. He will make sure your time with Him is right, and that your family time is right, and that you are fulfilling the work He has for you to do.
God will also energize you by grace to do whatever He leads you to do. If your priorities get out of order, you will labor in vain and tire quickly. In the next chapter we will look at how making healthy choices will help avoid stress, exhaustion, and upset so you can learn to enjoy your quiet times with God.
PEACEKEEPER #12
Protect Your Health
No matter what people own in life or what their positions are, if their health is not good, they will not enjoy anything. Good health is one of the greatest treasures we have; it is a gift from God. The psalmist wrote, “Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits—Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3).
The apostle John wrote, “Beloved, I would that you prosper and be in health, even as I know your soul prospers” (see 3 John 1:2). We should do all we possibly can to protect our health, both physically and emotionally. It is sad to see people in our society regularly abuse their bodies and then wonder why they get sick.
I have discovered that it is much harder for me to remain peaceful under any kind of opposition if I also have the added stress of not feeling well. If I am really tired, it is more difficult for me to get along with people or display the fruit of the Spirit.
I have had long periods of time in my life of not feeling well, and I have heard the doctors say over and over, “You are under stress.” Their diagnosis always frustrated me because I did not know how to live any way other than under stress. I thought I had no choice except to do all the things I was doing, even though I often admitted, “I can’t do all this. It is too much.”
Stress-related illnesses are rampant. I asked Dr. Don Colbert, a nutrition expert whom I greatly respect, to share how stress affects our health and nerves. He wrote, “Approximately 75-90% of all visits to primary-care physicians are for stress-related disorders. Chronic stress has actually been linked to most of the leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, acciden
ts, cirrhosis, and suicide.”
Dr. Colbert agrees that individuals must learn to protect themselves against stress, saying,
Few people realize that the fast-paced lives they are living, the increasing demands on their schedules, and the way that they cope or react to stress or stressful situations are all in their control. Yes, we all have a choice to continue this hectic schedule; we can choose to react by becoming more and more frustrated, or we can learn to limit the demands on our everyday lives and react in love rather than frustration.
The following excerpt from Dr. Colbert is a report he shared with me of how the Canadian physician Hans Selye accidentally discovered the effects of stress on the physical body.
Selye’s vision was not to discover the effects of stress but to discover the next new female sex hormone. He had made an extract from ovaries and injected the extract solution into rats. However, Selye was not very skillful with his injection techniques. He always dropped the rats and spent much of the morning chasing the rodents around the room, using a broom to get them out from behind a desk or a sink. At the end of a few months, Selye discovered that the rats had developed enlarged adrenal glands, shrunken immune tissues, and peptic ulcers.
Selye, however, thought this was due to the ovarian extract that he was injecting into the rats. So, he tested another group, and he injected them with only saline solution. Due to his poor coordination, however, he also dropped these rats, chased them around his lab, and also got the broom after them. At the end of the experiment, the control rats had also developed the enlarged adrenal glands, the shrunken immune tissues, and the peptic ulcers. Selye then figured out that the cause was not what he was injecting, but the tremendous stress he was putting the rats under while trying to inject them. He had literally stressed the little creatures out. Dr. Selye determined that when stress is maintained long enough, the body undergoes three distinct stages: (1) the alarm stage, (2) the resistance stage, and (3) the exhaustion stage.