Have you ever wanted peace in your life? Peace is given to you, not something you earn, store up, or manufacture. Peace does not come from the accumulation of wealth or possessions nor does peace naturally reside in you. Peace is given to you by God. God is peace (Yahweh-Shalom). Peace is granted to you through Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The prophet Isaiah, when speaking of God, told God’s people that God would provide them “perfect peace” despite their self-inflicted circumstances, if they would rightly acknowledge God for who He is and trust Him.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! … Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. Isaiah 26:3, 12
The peace that God offers is described as completeness and wholeness (i.e., “be as it should be”). God wants you to experience His peace, but you – just like believers in Jesus during the first century – have a participatory role to play.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Jesus taught a similar principle to His followers during the Sermon on the Mount, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). Jesus was combating His followers’ fear and anxiety associated with their need for money and possessions. Jesus assured His followers that God already knew all their needs, yet they were allowing their thoughts to be dominated by fear – like unbelievers – instead of trusting God (reference Matthew 6:19-34; also recorded in Luke 12:22-34).
Have you ever considered that fear and anxiety related to money and possessions could be an obstacle that hinders you from experiencing God’s peace in your life?
When the apostle Paul taught Timothy principles regarding money, Paul warned Timothy about desiring money as a life pursuit, but also gave instruction for believers in Jesus who had financial wealth on how to use their wealth to experience life as God intended.
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:9-10
… Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
God intended you to trust Him, not just for your forgiveness of sin (salvation), but also with the money and possessions God gives you. No matter the amount of money and possessions you have, God expects you to give a portion of your wealth to His purposes. “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.” (Proverbs 3:9) Trusting God with the money you do have could help you experience God’s peace in your life. “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25)
Generosity toward the things of God is a practical way for you to demonstrate that you trust God. Consider these principles about generosity from the New Testament.
- Generosity requires your readiness and willingness of heart to give money for God’s purposes. (Mark 12:41-44; 2 Corinthians 8:3-5; 9:5)
- Generosity demands your preparedness by the choices you make to have money available to give when a need arises. (2 Corinthians 8:6-14; 9:6)
- Generosity is not complete until you follow through with actual giving. (2 Corinthians 8:6-14; 9:9-13; 1 John 3:17)
- Generosity is a privilege to participate in God’s kingdom and comes with an expectation of cheerfulness when you give (2 Corinthians 8:2-3; 9:7)
God wants you to experience His peace. How could you take steps to combat fear and anxiety related to money and possessions through trusting God and being generous toward the things of God. Pursue God’s peace through generosity!
Watch the LIVE REPLAY to learn more about how trust and generosity lead to God’s peace. Join us LIVE every Monday at 3 p.m. ET on @GodGivesCourage Instagram for our Spiritual Growth Series and check back here on Tuesdays for the companion blog post.
