We live in a world, where people are always busy. The majority of people have no peace, but are always in a rush. As a result, they are easily irritated, edgy, and less tolerant. Many people, including Christians, don’t experience inner peace in their lives and don’t have peace of mind. They work hard, take too much on their plates, and are driven by performance, success, e te tao'a rahi. They don’t rule over life, but life rules over them. Maybe you also have a busy life and wonder how to get peace of mind. What do you have to do to find peace? What does the Bible say about peace of mind?
Are you seeking peace of mind?
Most people have busy lives and are swallowed up by their daily activities. They work hard, many times too hard, and are driven by success and wealth. Many of them have families that also entail concerns and problems. Some experience marital problems, problems with their children, financial problems, worries, anxieties, fears, sickness, addictions, e te tahi atu â.
All these things can cause people to become victims of their daily life. They can become fully controlled by the circumstances and problems and enter a state, which can be extremely dangerous.
Instead of experiencing peace and having peace of mind, they are stressed, extremely tired, can’t sleep, and become depressed and burned out. All because their mind has been taken captive by their circumstances, problems, and things in life.
People search for peace in the wrong places
Therefore they search for something that can give them peace of mind. Tera râ,, many times they look in the wrong places. Instead of going to Jesus Christ and following the Word, they go to the world for help and apply worldly methods and human philosophies, that promise them peace and help them to get rid of their problems, stress, anxieties, fears, worries, etc..
And so many Christians become involved with yoga, meditation, mindfulness, Reiki, acupuncture, mensendieck, physical therapy or go to a psychologist (A tai'o atoa: ‘The danger of mindfulness‘)
These doctrines of man and their carnal methods, promise them peace.
But instead of experiencing peace, they often cause more problems and people become more agitated, restless, tired, intolerant, and experience uncontrollable anger.
Because many places that promise you peace are often places that derive from the kingdom of darkness and have their roots in the occult.
They are built upon the carnal wisdom of people, which many times they have received through meditation and channeling with evil spirits.
These places, where this wisdom is used and applied, originate from the kingdom of darkness and are the territories of the devil. Their doctrines and philosophies do not come from God and His Word, but from the devil and diametrically oppose the Word of God.
When you go to these places and enter the territory of the devil, you won’t find rest, but the opposite. When you enter the territory of the devil, he captivates you and destroys you. Because the devil’s mission is to destroy people.
Many Christians enter the domain of the devil
When the devil gives you something, he always demands something in return. The devil doesn’t give you anything for free. Nor does he give you, what he promises. Because he is a liar and a thief. In return for the so-called peace, rest, or solution for your problem(s), he takes control over your life. The devil does this unsolicited. He just takes it and he acts based on your ignorance. The more ignorant you are, the more he takes.
Maybe you will not experience immediately, that the devil has taken control over your life. But in due time, you shall see, that something has changed.
An example of a person, who seeks peace of mind
Let’s look at an example of a person, who experiences stress in life. Let’s say, this person is a Christian, a man, who is married and has two children. He has earned a master’s degree and has a very good job with a good salary. Tera râ,, the work pressure is extremely high. He works approximately 12-14 hours a day. But even when the person goes home his work still occupies his mind. His mind is filled and overwhelmed by the pressure of work, work-related problems, worry, e te tahi atu â. But that’s not all. The family of this person also requires a lot of care and attention.
After a few years, this person becomes so stressed that the person becomes easily irritated, angry, rude, and doesn’t have a lot of patience anymore. This person doesn’t know what to do and how to go on anymore and is looking for some peace of mind and balance in life.
During a lunch break at work, the person hears a colleague talking about a psychologist. The person gets intrigued and interested. Although he never would have considered going to a psychologist, he becomes curious and is driven by curiosity.
After some time, the person decides to make an appointment with a psychologist.
During the first session, the person tells the psychologist about his busy life; his work, and his family.
The psychologist listens and then asks questions, not only about the person’s work and family but also about the person’s past. After the first session, more sessions follow.
But the main focal point of these sessions isn’t about creating a balance in life anymore, but about the person’s past. Things from the past are dug up and what the person always considered normal, isn’t normal according to the psychologist and puts labels on it.
The soul has been taken captive by the powers of darkness
Many things from the past are discussed and the psychologist gives advice. After many sessions, the person begins to feel more confused, insecure, and more miserable than before. In the beginning, it all looked good. But now this person has become a deep wreck (spiritually). The person has gotten more problems and worries to deal with than before.
What happened in the spiritual realm, is that the soul has been taken captive by the evil powers of darkness, that entered through the teachings of the devil, also called the wisdom of the world.
Does yoga reduce stress?
After a while, the psychologist advises the person to start meditating and take yoga lessons to reduce the level of stress and anxiety. The person listens to the psychologist’s advice begins to meditate and takes yoga lessons. Now, through the person’s ignorance, not only the soul has been taken captive, but the body has also been taken captive by the powers of darkness, by doing exercises, that involve the worship of heathen gods.
After a year of many visits to the psychologist and the yoga center, the person starts having physical pains and goes to a doctor. The doctor diagnoses a disease and it doesn’t look hopeful for the person.
And so it happened, that this person, who was stressed and was only looking for some peace of mind, had to pay for this so-called peace with his own life.
That’s the price, which the devil demands when you are looking for his help and turn to him.
Did the person get the peace of mind? No, because the devil is a liar. Therefore you can’t trust him.
This is a dramatic story, but this is the way it goes. It is an example of a person, who was drawn into the kingdom of darkness, through curiosity.
Instead of looking for God’s help and going to Him, the person looked for help in the world. But the carnal wisdom of this world is foolishness and enmity against God’s wisdom. Because carnal wisdom originates from the devil, he is the source, and the real cause of the man’s problem was in the spiritual realm and not in the carnal realm
The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy
Jesus said, that the devil comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). And that’s exactly what happens when you enter the territory of the devil. Through ignorance and a spiritual lack of knowledge, you give him your life.
You come to find peace of mind or to get answers or find a solution for your problems, but in return, the devil demands a sacrifice from you, which is your life.
In this example, the soul (through the psychologist and meditation) and the body (Te mau mana'o tauturu no te) of the person were given by the person to the devil to experience some peace of mind. But the person didn’t get the peace that the person was looking for. No, this person didn’t get peace, it was a lie. Instead, the person sacrificed his life to the devil.
This is the way of the world; the path of the world, which leads to death.
What is the Way to find peace of mind?
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (Mataio 11:28-30)
The only Way to find peace of mind is Jesus Christ. Jesus promises real peace that passes all understanding, to those, who come to Him. He promises a peace, a rest, that no man can give you.
When you are wearied, overstrained, stressed, tired, anxious, heavily laden, burned out, and experience a heaviness and pain in your soul, then there is only one Way, one Person, who can give you peace of mind, and that Person is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus promises you rest. He is the only One, who can give you rest; hau. He refreshes you so that all your burdens will be taken away from you. (A tai'o atoa: ‘How do you enter God’s rest?)
What does it mean to take His yoke upon you?
The only thing you have to do is to take His yoke upon you. A yoke is a coupling between two elements. Iesu’ yoke unites you with Him. You are bound to Him, instead of the devil. If you believe in Jesus Christ and give your life to Him, then you’ll be cleansed (from all your sins and iniquities), saved, and justified by His blood. You are bought with His blood and your life belongs to Him. No reira, you shall no longer serve the devil through sin, but you shall serve Jesus Christ through righteousness.
You shall love Him and keep His commandments.
By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the law of the Spirit (the law of Christ) is written upon your heart.
When you renew your mind with the Word of God and walk in His commandments, you shall have the peace of mind that Jesus has promised you.
Jesus does what He says He will do. Jesus never lies. If there is one Person in this whole wide world you can trust, it is Jesus; the Word.
When you do, what Jesus has commanded you to do, and when you keep His words and commandments, you shall find peace.
The Word shall give you peace of mind and it shall give you rest for your soul. It is written, that you shall find. Therefore you have to search for it.
You can search for it in the Bible; His Word. When you read, study, and meditate on His Word, day and night, you shall find what you are searching for. When you fill your mind with the words of God instead of the things of this world, you shall experience peace of mind. Yes, you shall experience rest.
What does God say about peace of mind?
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls (Jeremiah 6:16)
The people of God were rebellious and turned away from Him. Theydidn’t obey and keep His commandments. Hmmm, this sounds very familiar, because isn’t this also happening in our age? Therefore we can conclude, that the behavior of the old unregenerate man is still the same and has not changed throughout the ages.
As long as people stay carnal and keep living after the flesh, they shall always live in rebellion against God and His Word.
When Christians stay carnal and keep walking after the flesh, then eventually they shall abandon God’s path of life.
God advised His people to turn back to the old paths, to His Word, and to Ta'na mau faaueraa. God always gives a second chance, because He is a loving God.
When you turn back to God’s Word and obey His words you shall walk on the good path of life, which will lead to eternal life. And when you walk on this path, you shall have peace and rest for your soul
If you are a Christian and you are torn up inside and don’t experience peace and rest your mind (soul), then it’s not time to go the way of the world and go to a psychologist, but then it’s time to go to Jesus; to go to the Word.
When you find Jesus, you shall find peace of mind
Jesus lets Himself be found by those, who seek Him. You shall find Him in God’s Word. Therefore take the Word of God, study the Word, and meditate upon His words and commandments day and night. So that your mind will be renewed with His words and you shall find rest. You shall have peace of mind and receive, what you were looking for.
A peace, that passes all understanding, which the world (psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors, therapists, Te mau mana'o tauturu no te, relaxation therapies, hypnotherapy, e te tahi atu â) can’t give you.
'Ia riro ei miti no te fenua'
