21 Ways to Finding Peace and Happiness
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Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP). THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE, OLD TESTAMENT, copyright © 1965, 1987 by The Zondervan Corporation. THE AMPLIFIED NEW TESTAMENT, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked
KJV
are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked
NKJV
are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked
NIV
are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked
TLB
are taken from THE LIVING BIBLE © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Faith Words
Hachette Book Group USA
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Visit our Web site at
www.HachetteBookGroup.com
Originally published in hardcover by Warner Faith as
In Pursuit of Peace: 21 Ways to Conquer Anxiety, Fear, and Discontentment
.
First eBook Edition: May 2007
The Faith Words name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group USA.
ISBN: 978-0-446-19541-6
CONTENTS
Introduction
Peacekeeper #1: Trust the Lord of Peace
Peacekeeper #2: Make Peace Through a Surrendered Will
Peacekeeper #3: Know Your Enemy
Peacekeeper #4: Don’t Worry About the Future
Peacekeeper #5: Don’t Be Double-Minded
Peacekeeper #6: Stay Supernaturally Relaxed
Peacekeeper #7: Avoid Strife to Maintain Peace with God
Part II
BE AT PEACE WITH YOURSELF
Peacekeeper #8: Stop Rushing
Peacekeeper #9: Accept Yourself
Peacekeeper #10: Focus on Your Unique Strengths
Peacekeeper #11: Keep Your Priorities in Order
Peacekeeper #12: Protect Your Health
Peacekeeper #13: Avoid Financial Pressure
Peacekeeper #14: Keep Your Thoughts Above Life’s Storms
Peacekeeper #15: Esteem Others as Higher than Yourself
Peacekeeper #16: Adapt Yourself to the Needs of Others
Peacekeeper #17: Beware of Idle Talk
Peacekeeper #18: Establish Boundaries with People
Peacekeeper #19: Let Go of Offenses
Peacekeeper #20: Maintain a Quiet Inner Life
Peacekeeper #21: Aggressively Pursue Peace
About the Author
O
THER
B
OOKS BY
J
OYCE
M
EYER
T
he first forty years of my life, I lived without the blessing and benefit of peace; therefore, I can say from experience, life without peace is
miserable.
One cannot enjoy life without first having peace. Without it, we live in turmoil—always worried, anxious, and upset about something.
I came to a point in my life of being so hungry for peace that I was willing to make whatever changes were necessary in order to have it. As a result of that decision and the investment I made during the following years, I now enjoy a life of peace that often passes understanding. In other words, I enjoy peace
during
the storms of life, not just when the storms don’t exist. I am not saying that I have arrived at a state of perfection in my pursuit of peace, but I have made a lot of progress. As the apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:12, I have not arrived but I press on.
There were times in my life when I could be peaceful if everything was going my way, but since that seldom occurred, I rarely had peace. Now I have learned to change what I can change, accept what I cannot change, and regularly seek wisdom to know the difference. What I can do, I do with God’s help; what I cannot do I turn over to Him so He can work. This leaves me free to enjoy my life.
A life of frustration and struggle, a life without peace, is the result of trying to do something about something you cannot do anything about. The apostle Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV).
Once we realize we are struggling with something and feel upset, we need to start praying and immediately turn the situation over to God. You and I are not called to a life of frustration and struggle. Jesus came so we could have righteousness, peace, and joy (see Romans 14:17). He said, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” (John 10:10). The Word teaches us to “search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely
desire
peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself,
but pursue, go after them!
]” (1 Peter 3:11, italics mine).
Simply desiring peaceful relations is not enough. We’re to pursue peace with God, peace with ourselves, and peace with our fellow man. In this book, I will share with you many things within these three areas of relationships that needed to change in order for me to enjoy peace.
If you sincerely want a life of peace, you will need to be willing to change too. Peace does not just come; we have to pursue, crave, and go after it. Walking in peace must be a priority, or we will not make the effort needed to see it happen. I spent years praying for God to
give
me peace and finally realized He had already provided peace, but I had to
appropriate
it.
Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]” We will refer often to this verse throughout this study.
We can see that Jesus has already provided peace, so now we must take action and stop responding to unpleasant things by being upset. Being upset certainly does not change anything, but it does make us—as well as the people around us—miserable.