We humans seem to constantly be looking for something. We can see it in others and we can feel it in ourselves. That constant feeling that something is missing or that we have lost something that we have actually never found is always with us. We describe it in a variety of ways. Some of us call it a hole, some of us call it an untapped accomplishment, and some of us call it a longing for something better. The name we give it does not matter; it is the searching for it that does.

We think we can fill the hole with a variety of things. We think we can find what we are looking for in a person, a new geographical location, a new house, car, or possession. We think we can find it with a new style or even a new life philosophy. We search aimlessly for what is missing from our lives, trying different things and always coming up short. We have all heard the saying that the grass is greener on the other side, and I think we often believe that it is, so we continue to search in other people’s yards for what it missing from our own lives.

This constant searching for this elusive, unidentifiable thing has caused the breakdown of countless relationships and families. We actually find ourselves thinking. “I do not feel what I am looking for from my spouse or my children, so I need to look for someone else.” Even doing this will not lead us to the thing that is missing from our lives. Many people search for what they feel is missing for their entire lives and never find it. They live their lives never being satisfied and always feeling like they are missing out or falling short. If you have not figured it out by now, this thing we are looking for is peace. Sounds so simple and insignificant, doesn’t it? However, we can never live a complete and satisfying life without it.

True peace changes everything. Once we find that true sense of peace, all of our problems and desires seem to fade away. Once peace enters our lives, the hole we have felt all our lives is filled. So, how do we find this valuable life-changing thing? The answer is quite simple. Peace comes from within. Peace comes from trusting, knowing, and believing that God is in control. It is not enough to walk around saying that God is in control. We have to actually believe it and literally let Him be in control of everything, and we have to have the faith and trust to go where He leads us.

The answer is simple, but the process can be very difficult. We are so accustom to being in control. We are so used to having our way and doing things in our time. We are so used to never being satisfied that it is hard to lay that burden down, but we have learn to surrender to God’s plan for our lives. We have to submit to God and let Him be in control. We have to communicate with Him on a daily basis and let Him tell us what to do.

Basically, it comes down to this; the manner in which you live your life will determine your level of peace. You may be saying, “That sounds great, Dan, but what does that mean?” I am glad you asked. It means that if we listen for God’s voice and do what He asks us to do, we will have peace. We will not find peace in any other way. It is absolutely impossible to find it without God and without letting Him be in control and without doing what He asks us to do.

God has given me several prayers to say in different situations. I have one prayer that I use to pray for peace. I say this prayer several times during the day, but particularly when I have to do something that makes me nervous or apprehensive. The prayer is: “Wrap me in your perfect peace, guide me through my day, and comfort me.” It is such a simple prayer, but it has really changed my life. It brings me so much comfort when I pray it, and it allows me to focus on God and the peace that He can provide instead of worrying about what I will encounter in the day ahead.

So, we have to truly examine our lives and see just how much peace we have. If we find that we are searching for something constantly and feel that we do not have peace in our lives, it is because we are not submitting to God and letting Him be in control. The solution to that problem is to just do it. It is something that we will have to think about every single day, but eventually it will become such an important part us that we will not even think about it anymore, and God’s perfect peace will fill our lives, and we will stop searching, because we will finally have found what we need to feel satisfied, and that is peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~