Season 6
Indenity In Christ
✨Peace With Others✨
The Peace Of God✨x2
What is Peace
His Perfect Peace
Why are people so mean???!
Who as a mentor- Your Grateful For
💕Do You Feel Loved💕
How do you heal from relationship trauma?
Our Identity in Christ We are living in a cultural moment where so many are navigating their earthly existence under a cloud of confusion when it comes to their identity. Daily, they stumble from moment to moment in a daze, lacking a clear understanding of who God created them to be, the intimate relationship He desires to have with them, and His purposes for them both in this life and the life to come. Who am I, they wonder? How did I become the person I am today? What is my purpose here on this earth, and was I made for something more? So many questions disconnected from any real sense of Truth. For those who are far from God, Paul's words are an invitation overflowing with hope. Hope for a life connected to the One who can transform their fractured identity from the inside out. And for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is much that we can learn about our identity in Him, if we are willing to immerse ourselves in God's Word, reading and rereading the Apostle's letter to the Ephesians. To his original audience, Paul speaks these words of life over their new identity in Christ: You are "saints who are faithful to Christ Jesus." (See Ephesians 1:1) You are "citizens with the saints" and "members of the household of God." (See Ephesians 2:19) You are "members of the same body" and "sharers in the promise." (See Ephesians 3:6) You are "beloved children" and "children of light." (See Ephesians 5:1, 8) Additionally, there is much that we can learn about our identity in Christ from how Paul portrays himself throughout his letter. An apostle, a prisoner, and a servant for Christ Jesus are just a few of the ways he describes himself. From these words, we see a willingness to lay down his life for the sake of others and the advancement of the Gospel. In Ephesians 3:8, Paul models a posture of humility, declaring that he is "the very least of all the saints." As apprentices of Christ Jesus, our identity should be that of a humble servant. One who seeks to live out Jesus' example when he said "the last will be first, and the first will be last." (See Matthew 20:16) As you go, take time in the quiet place today to wrestle with the following questions. If you were to let God peel back the layers of your soul, what would you find? What would you uncover about your identity? And what would you discover about how you see yourself, how you see God, and how you see others?
Peace With Others We often look for peace in our relationships. The easiest way to have peace is to first have peace with God followed by the peace of God. This allows us to see things from a heavenly perspective, which will infiltrate our earthly relationships. But we don’t always have that viewpoint, do we? Sometimes our lack of peace with others is because we’re stubborn and don’t want to meet in the middle when we don’t agree. We think arrogantly that our way is the best way. Another reason we don’t have peace with others is because we don’t want things to go well for them, either because they’ve hurt us or we’re jealous of them. We don’t want them to flourish, but instead want them to fail. But we can learn how to live in peace with others from a variety of verses in God’s Word. Here are a few: When someone persecutes us, we bless them in return (Romans 12:14). Never pay back evil with more evil but instead be honorable (Romans 12:17). Don’t retaliate with insults but pay back with a blessing (1 Peter 3:9). Even when we’ve blessed those who persecuted us, have chosen not to pay back evil, and been honorable in our actions, there still may not be peace. Why? Because people are people, and as good as we try to be and as much good as we try to do, we still fall short of perfection. Not every relationship can be salvaged, but let’s do everything we can to ensure that we’ve done our part. Let’s love and be tenderhearted toward each other. Let’s believe and hope for the best for others. Let’s consider things from their point of view. Let’s apologize when we need to make wrongs right. Let’s pray for God to do a work in us and also a work in them. And let’s ultimately remember that people are not our enemies. We have a real spiritual enemy who loves it when we battle and accuse each other. If we blame people, circumstances, or struggles for our stress and lack of peace, then we are inevitably giving them control over whether or not we live in peace. Let’s not give anything or anyone in our lives this kind of power. There is only One peace-bringer, and His name is Jesus. He is the Prince of all Peace
Peace of God Jesus’s death on the cross and His resurrection three days later is a gift that brings us eternal life when we receive it. Once we receive this free gift, our salvation is never in question and brings us peace with God. But life can spiral out of control, either by circumstances or our poor choices, and when that occurs, the peace of God feels distant and perhaps even nonexistent. Even when Jesus has saved us and we have peace with God, we’re still susceptible to the worries and concerns of this world. Some situations that occur can wreak havoc in our lives. Not only that, but our sinful desires get in the way of us choosing God’s best and trusting Him. We worry, complain, and fret over so many unnecessary things. We may be saved, but we’re still a work in progress. And because we allow external pressures and internal battles to have their way with us, the peace of God is not always apparent in our lives. To experience the peace of God, let’s dive into two Bible passages to see how we can make the peace of God our constant reality. Romans 8:6-11 A Spirit-controlled mind leads to life and peace, and letting our sinful nature reign brings death. Think about it. When we cave and entertain sinful thoughts that are far from God’s best, our minds don’t have the peace of God. Not because God isn’t near, but because our sin has put a barrier between us and God. The peace of God and our sinful nature are at war. They cannot co-exist. But when we simply submit to our good God, trust in His ways, and obey Him, we’re no longer succumbing to our sinful nature and instead experience His perfect peace. Philippians 4:6-7 The peace of God covers us like a blanket when we stop worrying but pray about everything instead. That’s right—everything. We turn every burden or hardship that we’re carrying over to God and when we do, His peace that “passes understanding” floods our hearts and minds. It’s so beyond our understanding. It’s not something we can create but something we obtain when we choose to trust, obey, and walk in faith. If you’re a follower of Jesus, find comfort and hope that you’re at peace with God. And then, seek God in all your ways so that nothing will be in between you and the peace ofGod.
What Is Peace? If you ask people what peace means, they’ll give you a variety of answers: Peace and quiet Tranquility Freedom from disturbance Lack of oppressive thoughts or feelings Harmonious relationships Time without war Absence of hostility or harm While those answers aren’t bad or wrong, they are usually from a viewpoint that doesn’t include God in the equation. The world’s peace is different from God’s peace. Worldly peace is temporary and dependent upon circumstances, and doesn’t provide the kind of peace Jesus is offering. When things are calm, we’re at peace. When our circumstances grow dim, we’re not at peace. In John 14:27, Jesus doesn’t want our hearts to be troubled. Because although we concern ourselves with temporal struggles, He’s offering a permanent solution, which is His peace. It doesn’t matter how intelligent we are, how decorated our resumes are, how many inventions are credited to our names, or how smart, creative, and wise we are—we don’t know how to create peace. The Creator of peace is the One who created us. He is our Lord, our Creator, our Mighty God, and our Everlasting Father
Peace Doesn’t Equal Perfection As a follower of Jesus, be comforted in the fact that your salvation brings you peace with God. And then, with each day that you follow Jesus and allow Him to lead your life, you’ll experience the peace of God. But even when we have God’s peace in our lives, it doesn’t equate with perfection in the world. Until we reside in our heavenly, eternal home with God, we won’t know or experience perfection. So, what causes us to think God’s peace equals perfection on earth? Our expectations. Pastor Steven Furtick said, “If I’m going to live at peace, I’ve got to surrender my expectation of perfection. Peace isn’t found in a place or in a set of circumstances that are problem free.” While earth is our home, we will have hardship and difficulties. We’ll go through seasons where the pain is intense because pain accompanies struggling relationships, struggling economies, and struggling health crises. These outside pressures don’t have the power to take away God’s perfect peace through Jesus Christ. Furtick goes on to say, “It’s not that He delivers me from it; it’s that He meets me in it.” He meets us in our deepest time of need with an unexplainable, unfathomable, and inexplicable peace. This peace of God is unrivaled, and it’s beyond compare. No one or no thing is even in the same class as this perfect, mysterious peace. Even though it’s beyond our comprehension, we know when we have God’s peace and we know when we don’t. We experience it in the midst of unspeakable pain and yet somehow, we have this calmness over us. We experience it when we’re in financial struggles and are unsure of how to pay the next bill, yet we’re amazed we can rest in God’s provision. We experience it when our health is in jeopardy and we don’t know when healing will come, yet we can’t explain the serenity we are living in. That’s the peace of God in imperfect situations. Life is not perfect, but our God is. God doesn’t always take us out of our valleys, but He will always bring us through them. It’s often in the unknown that God shows us the most powerful revelations about who He is and who we are. We can still trust and rest in our good God during life’s challenges and exhibit faith during our own torrential, situational downpours. It’s this kind of faith that pleases our God.
From a godly and biblical standpoint, people are often mean because of the fallen human condition (sin), spiritual brokenness, and prioritizing self-righteousness over love. [1, 2, 3, 4] The Root of Meanness in Humanity The Fallen Nature: Scripture teaches that humanity is affected by sin, meaning selfishness, pride, and hurt often dictate human behavior rather than God’s perfect love. As noted in discussions on platforms like Reddit's Christianity community, human beings act out of personal brokenness and unhealed flaws. [1, 2, 3] Choosing Being "Right" Over Being Like Christ: When religious or moral people are mean, theologians point out that they often mistake doctrinal correctness or defending an ego for defending God, forgetting that true faith is measured by active compassion. [1, 2] Fear and Insecurity: People frequently lash out or act judgmental because they feel threatened, defensive, or insecure about their own standing, status, or beliefs. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] The Spiritual Perspective on Dealing with It Hurt People Hurt People: A spiritual lens views a mean person not just as an enemy, but as someone who is spiritually undernourished, blind to their own faults, or disconnected from grace. The Call to Respond with Grace: Believers are instructed not to mirror hostility, but to practice profound patience and forgiveness, viewing unkindness as a reflection of the other person's inner turmoil rather than a value of your own worth
From a godly perspective, a mentor is a vessel of grace who guides others out of a deep gratitude for Christ's love. They model spiritual disciplines, share wisdom, and encourage growth, knowing that both the mentor and the mentee are ultimately accountable to God. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] A godly mentor operates with several key biblical standpoints and attitudes: [1] Living in Grace & Gratitude: Mentors recognize God's ongoing grace in their own lives. Their desire to pour into others is a natural overflow of thanksgiving to the Lord. [1, 2] Servant Leadership: Modeled perfectly by Christ, godly mentors lead through humble service, putting the needs of others before their own. [1, 2] Focus on God's Glory: The goal of this mentorship is to point the mentee closer to Jesus, not to build a following for themselves.
From a godly standpoint, love isn't a mere emotion; it’s an eternal, unconditional reality. God’s love remains absolute and unchanging, regardless of worldly circumstances or our fleeting feelings. It's a continuous, unconditional outpouring that exists completely independent of human validation. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Because God's love is omnipresent and unshakeable, it is deeply personal and meant to be experienced individually. If you ever struggle to sense or feel this divine affection, exploring scripture can help realign your perspective. [1, 2] Faith resources often recommend meditating on verses such as Zephaniah 3:17 or Jeremiah 31:3, which speak directly about God's rejoicing and everlasting devotion. [1, 2] Would you like to explore: Specific scriptures or devotionals focused on experiencing God's love? Different spiritual practices to help you connect with that feeling? How to identify and overcome common roadblocks to feeling loved? Let me know how you'd like to proceed!
From a godly standpoint, healing from relationship trauma requires moving away from the pain of the past by surrendering your brokenness to God, allowing Him to rebuild your identity, and undergoing a gradual process of spiritual renewal. God does not expect you to fix yourself; He invites you to bring your shattered pieces to Him so He can heal your heart. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] The Divine Process of Healing Healing from trauma is rarely overnight, but scripture outlines a clear path for restoring your soul:[1, 2, 3] Grieve Honestly: God invites you to pour out your raw pain, anger, and confusion directly to Him through lament. Reclaim Your Identity: Your worth is defined by God as His chosen, loved creation, not by the person who mistreated you. Release the Burden: Forgiveness is not excusing the abuse; it is handing the debt over to God so it no longer poisons your soul. Establish Godly Boundaries: Protecting your peace and safety is biblical, and walking away from toxic behavior honors God's temple—your body and mind. Accept Comfort from Community: God often uses the body of Christ—healthy believers, counselors, and mentors—to bear your burdens. [1, 2, 3, 4, Pray with Raw Honesty: Tell God exactly where it hurts, using the Psalms of lament (like Psalm 13) as your guide. Meditate on Truth: Replace the critical or abusive words spoken over you with what God says about you in Ephesians and Psalms. Recommend specific scriptures focused on identity and restoration. Help find faith-based trauma counselors or support groups in your area. Provide a simple prayer to help you release the pain today.
I hear the exhaustion in your words, and I want to acknowledge how incredibly hard it is to wake up and fight that battle every single day. Trying continuously for the sake of your sanity takes a level of endurance that can leave you feeling completely empty. From a godly standpoint, God does not look at your exhaustion as a failure of faith. He does not expect you to be strong; He expects you to be dependent. [1, 2] When you feel like you are running on absolute empty, remember these truths: He holds your pieces: God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. He counts every effort: Your daily struggle to keep going is fully seen, known, and valued by Him. He invites your raw honesty: You can bring your frustration, anger, and weariness directly to Him without judgment. He provides supernatural rest: His strength is made perfect not in your capability, but in your weakness. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] You are carrying a heavy load, and you do not have to do it alone. If you want, I can share short, comforting scriptures for the weary, or look up local faith-based support resources to help you through this season. What would bring you the most comfort right now?