There are some words that we use so often that we tend to forget their meaning. \u201cPeace\u201d is one of them.\u00a0 We see the word on bumper stickers.\u00a0 At the end of church, very often the pastor says, \u201cGo in peace.\u201d\u00a0 But in practical terms, what does it mean to be at peace?\u00a0 What does it mean to be peaceful?<\/p>\n
Of course, we all know what it means to not<\/em> be peaceful.\u00a0 If we are angry or violent, we obviously aren\u2019t peaceful.\u00a0 But there is more to it than that.\u00a0 We aren\u2019t peaceful when we have an unsettled mind.\u00a0 If we are worried, overwhelmed or frustrated, we aren\u2019t at peace.\u00a0 And in order to be a happy person, you have to be able to maintain a peaceful mind \u2013 regardless of your circumstances.<\/p>\n In order to achieve that kind of serenity, it is necessary to develop certain character traits. That takes work.\u00a0 Calm people aren\u2019t calm by nature.\u00a0 Instead, they have trained themselves to be at peace both with themselves and\u00a0the world.<\/p>\n If you are seeking to have a peaceful mind, consider developing the following character and personality traits:<\/p>\n A Peaceful Mind\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Is Humble: <\/strong> Humility and a peaceful mind go hand in hand.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Humble people aren\u2019t worried about whether they are better or worse than anyone else.\u00a0 They aren\u2019t stressing themselves out trying to be perfect.\u00a0 They know that they are imperfect.\u00a0 And they are OK with that.\u00a0 They know their weaknesses, and they know their strengths.\u00a0 And instead of obsessing about what everyone else is achieving, they are focused on running their own race.\u00a0 They simply are trying to be the best that they can be with the skills and qualities that God has given them.<\/p>\n Forgives: <\/strong>You cannot be at peace and be mad at other people.\u00a0 It is just that simple.\u00a0 Admittedly forgiving people is hard.\u00a0 It is especially hard if you see them all the time.\u00a0 Let\u2019s face it.\u00a0 It is easy to forgive someone who you never see or barely have to deal with.\u00a0 It is hard to let go of bitterness against someone that you see on a daily basis.\u00a0 But the only way to live in peace is to not hold resentments against anyone.\u00a0 Sometimes we can do that through our own efforts.\u00a0 At other times, we need to turn to God in prayer and ask for His help.<\/p>\n Trusts God: <\/strong>Worrying robs us of our peace.\u00a0 And it accomplishes nothing.\u00a0 If there is something that is troubling you, there are only two things that you can do:\u00a0 First, do what you can to solve the problem.\u00a0 Then, trust God to handle the rest.\u00a0 We have to accept that we are limited in what we can do.\u00a0 We have to be willing turn to God and say, \u201cHelp me.\u00a0 I can\u2019t do this on my own.\u201d\u00a0 You saying that small prayer is much more productive than worrying.<\/p>\n Appreciates: <\/strong>Sometimes we have trouble being at peace with our circumstances.\u00a0 Perhaps our relationships aren\u2019t perfect.\u00a0 Or we don\u2019t live in the house of our dreams.\u00a0 Or maybe we aren\u2019t in the ideal job.\u00a0 Trust me when I tell you that life will never be perfect.\u00a0 There will always be things that could stand some improvement.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t be happy amidst the imperfection of life, you will never be at peace.\u00a0 The way to be happy is to appreciate what is good.\u00a0 \u201cCount your blessings\u201d sounds like a trite saying, but there is a lot of wisdom in it.\u00a0 Of course, there is nothing wrong with trying to improve your life.\u00a0 In fact, you should be working at improving your life (and yourself!) continually.\u00a0 But in order to be at peace with your circumstances now<\/em>, you have to focus on the blessings that God has given you today<\/em>.<\/p>\n Is Patient:<\/strong> A great deal of our agitation stems from our refusal to be patient with others.\u00a0 People aren\u2019t perfect.\u00a0 Very often, they do and say things that make me scratch my head.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you feel the same way.\u00a0 Moreover, I\u2019m sure my behavior sometimes makes other people scratch their heads as well!\u00a0 If we allow ourselves to become disturbed every time someone makes a mistake or does something irritating, we are going to be continually annoyed.\u00a0 The only way to remain peaceful is to be patient.\u00a0 Give others the patience that you would like to receive when you make a mistake.\u00a0 You will make their lives easier, and you\u2019ll be happier too.<\/p>\n Having a peaceful mind takes work. It requires developing good mental habits.\u00a0 It means learning not to be frustrated by the world around you.\u00a0 It means not being easily offended by others. \u00a0And it means appreciating what you have and where you are in life.\u00a0 Those mental habits cannot be achieved without effort.\u00a0 However, the payoff for your hard work will be a peaceful mind and a happy life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are some words that we use so often that we tend to forget their meaning. \u201cPeace\u201d is one of them.\u00a0 We see the word on bumper stickers.\u00a0 At the end of church, very often the pastor says, \u201cGo in peace.\u201d\u00a0 But in practical terms, what does it mean to be at peace?\u00a0 What does…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n