Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas says people need to make a determined effort to be able to live in peace because there will always be challenges that will undermine their peace of mind.
"If you're going to live in peace, it's not going to happen by accident," he writes on his blog. "Every day, we have opportunities to get upset, be offended, and live worried. Life happens. People get on your nerves. Unexpected bills come. A family member may go into the hospital."
If people choose to wait for all of their circumstances to calm down first before they strive for peace, then Osteen guarantees that people will be waiting their whole lives.
"God never promised that He would keep us from difficulties. He never said that we wouldn't have storms. But He did say that He would give us peace in the midst of the storms. He calls it a 'peace that passes understanding,'" shares Osteen.
What God means by this, according to Osteen, is that people will always have peace even though everything in their lives appears to be going crazy. It won't be easy doing this, but Osteen says when people learn to trust that God is their Vindicator and that He will fight all of their battles, then they will have peace of mind.
"Your mind needs a break. It wasn't meant to go all the time," he says. "The Scripture says, 'Cast your cares on the Lord.' You have to learn to turn that mess over to God. You weren't designed to carry a heavy load. It will frustrate you."
The key to this is knowing that God works while people rest, and God rests when people work. Osteen says people need to take a step back sometimes and let God handle things. "That's when God goes to work, and you can enjoy life living in peace!" he says.
