Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:7
Isaiah prophesied about a king whose Kingdom was going to be marked with peace. The kingdoms of this world are not capable to remain in peace for any length of time, but Jesus came as the Prince of Peace to bring a different kind of Kingdom. This Kingdom operates in trusting in God and His guidance our lives. On the contrary, the kingdom of the world is only based on performance and one’s benefit to others. In the world system, the standard is arbitrary, and everything, including love, is conditional. This keeps people in an insecure and anxious state.
Jesus set the example of how to live in peace in His Kingdom. His identity was secure in His relationship to His father. He had no need to strive or prove to others that He was the real deal. When others were mean and disrespectful to Him, He held no offense towards them. This blocked any root of anger or bitterness to grow in His heart. As a result, He did not seek to retaliate because He had no unforgiveness towards anyone. Jesus always sought the will of the Lord, which caused Him to live a surrendered and peaceful life!
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3
Initially, many of us experience the peace of God in a profound way. Becoming God’s child and joining His family and Kingdom brings an overwhelming peace and joy to our hearts. However, over time our soulish life begins to creep in. As the above scriptures describe, those who have carnal mind lose the benefits of being a born again believer in this life. On the other hand, those who trust the Lord and have the mind of Christ continue to enjoy peace in their lives.
Being carnally minded comes in at least two different ways. The first is when we still have a worldly value system. This is when we measure our lives according to the ways of the world, which causes us to lose our peace. We begin to think that maybe we are sacrificing too much to be a follower of Christ. This makes us double-minded and confused. The second reason that we become carnally minded is when we try to figure things out based on our limited facts and understanding. We were not designed to lean on our own understanding. As a result, it makes us lose our peace. Leaning on our own understanding is as if expecting someone to drive a car while wearing a blindfold. That would be very unreasonable and stressful! Surprisingly, we don’t even question the flawed and dangerous habit of leaning on our understanding!
If you were to evaluate your thoughts, how often are you carnally minded? How well do you do in trusting God and not leaning on your own understanding?
