The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. 

                                                                                                               Isaiah 26:3 

The third attribute that accompanies the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is peace. Both in the Old and New Testaments, we see that this peace can be found in the mind of someone who focuses on God and the things of heaven. As the culture continues to move further and further from God, the believer can assess and respond to the various events of life in a different manner than the unbelieving world. What would cause one person to worry and fret, doesn’t affect the Christian because the believer sees everything through the lens of eternity. Consider Jesus’ words:

You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. 

                                                                                                               Matthew 24:6-8 

Unbelievers might view these things with a mind of trepidation, and rightfully so. Those who do not belong to Christ and have spent their lives chasing the things of the world should be concerned since these events threaten the very investment that they have made. But for the believer, these are merely necessary circumstances accompanying the return of Jesus. That is why the prophet Isaiah says, “God will keep the steadfast of mind in perfect peace.” Why? It is because the believer “trusts in God.” Consider the following, contrasting the blessed and the cursed:

Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. “For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant.”

                                                                                                               Jeremiah 17:5-6

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.”

                                                                                                                 Jeremiah 17:7-8 

Both word pictures illustrate the spiritual condition of two distinct groups of people. Those who trust in mankind (self-effort, politicians, governments) will not see spiritual prosperity. Likewise, those who place their faith in Jesus will be spiritually healthy, strong, and productive. Again, this reality comes from having a mindset that is stayed on God and His kingdom rather than getting caught up in the trappings of the world (Matthew 6:33). No wonder so many people have to turn to drugs, alcohol, and busyness as a means of finding peace in this world. Their focus is simply being misplaced.

Finally, Paul tells us to avoid being anxious:

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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.                                                                       

                                                                                                            Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety is the opposite of peace. As someone who has experienced seasons of anxiety, I can say that this phenomenon is usually tied to the mind and the thoughts that dominate our thinking. I am in no way discounting the reality of brain chemistry as a possible contributing factor in the creation of anxiety however, for some, it is simply a result of focusing on the wrong things. For the believer, our focus should always be on God and His provision for our lives. I believe this is the reason why Paul wrote the following:

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

                                                                                                            Philippians 4:8-9 

God is greater than anxiety. He is able to provide the believer with peace of mind through the power of the Spirit. But Paul tells us that in order for this to take place, we must dwell on the positive, pray about everything, and practice the very things that we are taught in scripture. As we do so, “the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Don’t miss the point that it is the peace of God that does the guarding. This peace is supernatural and beyond comprehension and can only come by the presence of God at work in our lives, thus it is a fruit of the Spirit.

Are you fretting over world events? Are you able to respond to others with a sense of peace and security? Remember, the one whose mind is stayed on God, He Himself will keep in perfect peace!