Body & Heart

John 14:²⁷ “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  (LB, emphasis added)

To enjoy God’s promise of peace, the second thing you must do is Get Rest For Your Body. Ezekiel 20:¹² “And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.” What is a sabbath? One day out of seven days, you must shut down and rest. What is that one day for you? If you are not resting for one day out of seven days, you are abusing your body. In my understanding of scriptures, it does not have to be a particular day like God stated for the Jews. Taking a Sabbath does two things; firstly, it reminds you of who God is. And secondly, it reminds you of who you are. Some say, “I work seven days a week, round the clock. Who needs a whole day to rest?”

The truth is that when you do not take a sabbath, you suddenly begin to make bad decisions. And it is because you have lost sight of who God is to you. You also begin to make bad decisions because you have lost sight of who you are. People begin to see their friends as their enemies and treat their enemies as their friends. Taking a sabbath of rest is so indispensable. Psalm 127:² “It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest.” (LB, emphasis added). Without the rest you need, you get out of sync with God and out of sync with yourself.

When you are out of sync, you become disillusioned, you lose sight of who God is, and you lose sight of who you are. Then you start to do dumb things and make bad decisions. Proverbs 14:³⁰ “A heart at peace gives life to the body…” (NIV). When you get the rest that you need, you get the peace that you need. And the peace you need will give life to your body and soul. And because you are now in sync with God, you are reminded of who God is. Also, you get in sync with your yourself and your destiny because you are reminded of who you are.

To enjoy God’s promise of peace, you must Make Peace With People. Romans 12:¹⁸ “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” I know people who cut off this person, and do not care about that other person. That is why such people are so confused, filled with turmoil, unrest, and lack peace on their inside. God has made us creatures of relationships. Your relationships will not be perfect because people are not perfect, and neither are you. Nobody is perfect, but you cannot do without relationships. That is how we are wired.

Prayer: Father, I ask for the wisdom and grace to rest my body and make peace, in Jesus Name. Amen!