Live Intentionally by Practicing Peace

In all the craziness of this world, we hear the word peace so much. We crave it, yet we struggle with anxiety. We are overwhelmed with fear and our lives are consumed with hurriedness. And we fill our schedules and routines with constant busyness to distract ourselves from our own issues. The problem with this lifestyle is that it results in no peace. Zero. Zilch. None. Before you know it, that is the last thing we experience. It's time for a change! We need to live intentionally by practicing peace.

If you are familiar with why I started the Purposeful Planner, you will know that the height of my despair was when I sprawled out on my daughter's bedroom floor crying out for more. My desperate heart didn't want to run the ragged race of the life I was living. I was so done with being exhausted and drained. Ultimately, I wanted more peace for make room for Jesus and the important things that lead to a purposeful life.

I really think that to attain peace in our lives, we have to practice it. There is no way to just download. It isn't a one and done type of lesson to be learned. We have to live in such a way where it is a fruit that is a product of our lives. How do we do that? There are many ways, but I'd love to point out one.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." - Galatians 5:22

There are so many studies and books about the fruit of the Spirit. But do you see our winner in there (not that the rest aren't)? Do you see how it is sandwiched between love and self-control? Think about it. If we are living lives that are filled with healthy love for ourselves and others, and we are practicing self-control, the other attributes naturally follow. Peace is one of the direct results from living in love and self-control. Just as joy, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness are. If we choose today to live into these qualities, the outflow will be something radically different despite what is going on in this world, on the news, or even in our lives.

How can you live intentionally by practicing peace?