Today we are going to take a posture of peace by looking to the one we are now one with.
Posture is a short audible fist bump to remind you God is with you in everything. Together we're
going to be emboldened to take a daily posture of perfect peace. In John chapter 16 verse 33,
Jesus said, I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world
you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. So in last week's episode
we talked about the truth about you, really the truth about Jesus in you. Jesus died as you and
you were raised as him so that you could share in the same union, the same deep, intimate,
close relationship that Jesus has with Father God. When you believe in Jesus, you are put into
Christ and Christ is put into you. And first John 4 17 says, as he is, so are you in this world.
Which means if it's true about Jesus, it's now true about you. There is no more distance,
there is no more separation between you and God. Second Corinthians 5 17 says, you have become a
new creation. The old you is gone. It doesn't say the old you is starting to slowly fade away
with time. No, it says it's gone and the new is here. That's the truth about you. And I shared
from my own personal experience that as true as the truth is, when things are hard, it can be hard
to believe what's true about you. Rough, tough circumstances, crazy world events, intrusive
thoughts, overwhelming emotions, rejection, relational conflict, those things are trying
to speak to us. They're trying to talk us out of the truth and into living in a lesser reality.
And it's in those moments when all the negatives are just shouting loudly at me, I go back to what
Jesus said here in John 16 33, that in him, I may have peace. In this world, there will be trouble,
but he has overcome the world. As new creations, we are in Christ while we live in this world.
That means our peace is now permanent because we are placed permanently in him. We are living
in a victory that he won so we can't lose. Even in trouble, even in rough, tough, hard circumstances,
we are living in his victory. The absence of trouble is not proof of this victory. It's his
permanent presence in us, in every trouble. That's the proof. So what if today we put this
truth into practice? Let's do it together. Instead of letting the circumstances that we're currently
facing challenge our identity in Christ, challenge what we believe about who he is and who we are in
him. Instead of that, let's let our identity in Christ challenge our circumstances. Here's how
I'm doing that. Something I've been putting into practice recently, instead of allowing fear to
keep me from walking in powerful, bold love, I'm letting his perfect love fill me and cast out all
fear. I am not letting fear, any fear, fear that I may be carrying or that someone else may be
carrying, I'm not letting that dictate not just how I treat people, but I'm not letting it dictate
how I feel about people. I will not let fear inform any part of me, including my emotions.
Because I realized Jesus did not just grin and bear it when he loved people. He wasn't feeling
one way, but like then acting loving. Anyway, he is love. So every part of him is love. And if it's
true about him, it's true about me. I am being, we are being transformed into his image and likeness.
So I'm choosing that truth. And you know what? It's making life more peaceful. It's making
scrolling through social media a lot more enjoyable. So that's what I'm currently
practicing. I'm not letting fear dictate my love. What are you putting into?
practice. Please share with me in the comments how you're putting this into
practice. How are you letting your identity in Christ challenge your
current circumstances? I would love to hear. You are not being made into the
image and likeness of your circumstances, good, bad, or ugly circumstances. You are
not being made into the image and likeness of world events, no matter how
peaceful or chaotic the world events may be. So if you're looking to them for
affirmation, security, provision, for direction, you're going to have an
identity crisis. Instead, look to the one you are now one with.