Can a Christian have complete peace?

[imperfectchristian]

If so ... how?

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Sometimes.
Not always.
"In the world you will have tribulation ..."

 

[simpleone]

If so ... how?

hmm...
this is one of my biggest desires from the Lord...and I believe he helps me in regard to this...tho latelyi went thru a period of "tribulation" - well nothing crazy but God was teaching me something as my focus shifted..I suppose a time of chastening for me
anyway...if we can get to that place where we can trust God completely and have a clear conscious as much as you know...and giving everything which matters to you to God...i believe - we can have peace - peace that surpases all understanding...above all...the biggest key would be an inner knowledge and confirmation of the life we live - if it is for us, for someone else or for God - I believe if we truly want to live to please God then there is nothing in this universe that can take away the treasure of peace within us

 

[ANM29]

Nobody is in 'total' peace ALL of the time 24/7 . But yes, we do have 'complete' peace in Christ, absolutely. I find when I need it the most, he showers me with it. Then there are times, I am just in a state of peace for long periods of time. But, that is why we need him..He is our peace of mind..

 

[Floatingaxe]

Yes a Christian can have complete peace. I know and have known many who do. I answered the poll according to the OP question. As for myself, while I am a peaceful believer and know that God has all my concerns in hand, my peace level is not always at the top. Submitting my difficult trial into His hands at the moment has been done with my mouth, but not quite yet with my all.

I know it is coming! He is patient with me, and standing by!

I must say this though--that even though we may suffer trials of many sorts, we may still maintain our joy and that peace of God that passes all understanding overtakes us! I have experienced that and it is AWESOME!

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Ironically, sometimes it happens that during the absolute worst of trials we go through, things that we'd tend to be most stressed over -- losing a job, losing a home, losing a loved one, being harassed or insulted, attacked, excluded, subjected to injustice, whatever -- that His peace just completely wraps us up and carries us through and those things hardly even touch us.

Yet then let some little trouble or difficulty arise and we can get all tied up in seventeen flavors of knots squalling about the unfairness of it all!! LOL What bes up with that, anyway?

 

[cyberlizard]

i tend to find the little things destroy my peace rather than the big ones.... life is strange.

Steve

 

[Floatingaxe]

i tend to find the little things destroy my peace rather than the big ones.... life is strange.

Steve

Exactly! I always think of the little foxes...

Song of Solomon 2:15
Catch us the foxes,
The little foxes that spoil the vines,
For our vines have tender grapes.

 

[MuidSaoirse]

Jesus said My peace i give you... I find God's peace elusive espicially around many Christians who revolt me.
I think maybe the peace is the river of certainity we know where we are heading and what the truth is.
Where do the most peaceful people in the world live?
In the cemetery.
I don't think we will know true perfect peace in this life. Life is a warzone and for many in a literal sense.

 

[Elijah2]

I always believe that patience, self-control, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness and kindness eventually leads us to PEACE, and then JOY.

My peace comes when I know that I've prayed earnestly and honestly; or when I have given good advice; or when there are no disputes. But, when I step out of line, I am not at peace.

When we are in contact with people who continually disagree with everything that anyone says, then we are not at peace, because most of the time we end up in conflict.

Such conflict has been displayed a lot lately on the forum. Two weeks ago we were at peace, and now it has become unpeaceful. Why is this so?

Because we are not as wise as a serpent, or as gentle as a dove.

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

 

[KingZzub]

Lots of answers have been offered to this question, but not one referring to Scripture:

"I will keep him in PERFECT PEACE, whose mind is stayed on ME". Isaiah 26.3.

If you are not in perfect peace, it is an indicator that you are not thinking about the Lord. If you were thinking about him, and his redemption of you, and His love for you, and His plans to prosper you and not to harm you, you would be in peace.

If you think about the mountain and talk to Him about the mountain, you don't have peace. If you think about Him and commune with Him and talk tot the mountain about Him, then you will have perfect peace.

Do I always get it right? No, I haven't arrived, but I have left. If I have no peace, I start reading and studying my Bible and considering Him, the author and finisher of my faith, and I start thinking about Him and His love, and what He has done for me, I have peace and joy.

Do I have conflict in my life? More in the last six months than I have ever had. Will I allow the world to take away the peace that Lord has given me? No. Jesus' gift cannot be taken back by the world if we don't let it, and keep our minds stayed on Him.

Elijah makes a clear point about not getting into conflict. The Bible says that ONLY BY PRIDE comes CONTENTION. If you are contentious with someone, it is due to your pride. I assure you that word is a two edged sword that cuts me as much as it cuts you. When my wife and I realized this, it completely changed out marriage. If we are arguing, it is because I am in pride. If I am being humble, there can be no contention.

I do not mean we should all agree on everything (some Christians have some strange ideas!) but that we should remain humble and kind, and that leads to peace even if people disagree with you.

Someone at the beginning of this thread (I won't name names, you can read it) did quote a verse, but only half a verse. I agree that in this world we will always have tribulations, but the end of the verse has Jesus saying "BE OF GOOD CHEER! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!" Hallelu Yah! Think about that part of the verse and I assure you you will be in the most beautiful peace!

Blessings,
|ZZ|

 

[Angeloffire]

It has been my experience that when you obey God you have peace.

Some of my greatest times of peace was in what should have been a most troubling hour.

The key is to keep your mind on what is true.

When we allow thoughts that are not of God to rule in us, we lose our peace.

For me, peace is like a big "okay" from heaven. If you are about to do something or do something that is not of God, peace will leave you.

Perfect peace really does come from keeping your mind on the Truth. And Oh what sweet peace it is!

 

[zaksmummy]

I wrote "sometimes" for all the reasons that everyone else said.

Just let me tell you this though, I believe that peace comes from freedom - I'm not talking about physical freedom Im talking about emotional and spiritual freedom.

You may remember that last year I wrote a thread entitles "A christian perspective of Elul" talking about an experience I had when God challenged my to make restitution and forgive a boss I had. At that time I wrote that I knew that I had gained some freedom, just wasnt quite sure how it would work out. Well a year later can now say that this freedom was and is for real, the anger and irritation I felt about her went, and whereas I could take the micky out of how she laughed and acted, I found that I could no longer do this and didnt want to anyway. I found that it had a profound effect on that part of my emotional life. Ironically I saw her today, briefly, for the first time since out telephone conversation last year, and chatted for a couple of minutes, whcih was actually quite nice.

Well this year (as we are back in the month of Elul) I didnt know what to expect - I had been praying for a while about the anger I felt towards my three year old - he can be very naughty at times and I was getting increasing angry at his behaviours and at myself for getting angry and not dealing with it very well. A couple of weeks ago a pastor from another church came to talk about "inner healing", she spent quite a time talking about forgiveness and how it can help to dig out the roots of anger and things in our lives. I realised that my problem with Zak stemmed from the discipline I had recieved as a child from my dad. We get along fine now, but at the time I felt much of the time he was overly strict and disciplined us out of anger, tiredness etc and some of it was unjustified and unjust. I went for prayer and lo and behond, I have experienced the same kind of freedom since then as I did last year - that irritation and anger that was stuck like a ball in my chest has gone.

I know that there is plenty more things lurking about in the back of my brain - whether sin or unforgiveness, for God to gently probe at and bring me to a place of seeking repentence or forgiving others, but from these two experiences I can say that yes, I believe that a christian can achieve complete peace but in His time not ours.

 

[EternalSummer]

In knowing Christ, I find a peace that passes all understanding. It keeps my heart and mind in Him. This does not mean I don't feel distress or pain or confusion or fear -- I feel those things just like every other man and woman in this world. But it means I no longer feel them as totalities overwhelming. Even when troubling emotions stir, beneath it all runs this peace like a river. It really IS peace like a river, too, running consistently even in the places where it runs underground and not above. It's there even if not on the surface. It's there even in the earthquake and the storm. If we keep our minds stayed on Him, He keeps us in perfect peace not INSTEAD OF troubles, but IN THE MIDST OF them, THROUGH them, and IN SPITE OF them.

 

[Simon_Templar]

yes, by knowing God. That may sound trite, and clieched, but I'm not talking about the simple "do you have a personal relationship with God" clieche.

I'm talking about when you actually begin to know God experientially.

 

[Shizzle]

Yes we can, maybe we have to overcome for a while first but in christ we can.