I am sure you can see it is a very natural thing to try to make things change that you do not like. Be realistic for a moment. How successful are you being at changing these things?
No message is very helpful unless some instruction is given on “how to” obtain the thing you need. To say you need peace is step one. However, without practically sharing how you can have peace, no real fruit is borne.
One thing helped me tremendously to begin to enjoy a peaceful life. I realized it was useless and extremely frustrating to “try to do something about something I could not do anything about.”
Are you doing that? Are you frustrating yourself trying to make things happen? God has a perfect timing for everything. You must wait on His timing.
Generally, you cannot make things happen out of their season anyway. Even if you did birth something out of season, you would never be happy with it. Learn to wait on God. This brings Him honor, and it brings you peace.
Are you trying to do the impossible? Are you trying to change the people around you—perhaps the person you are married to, one of your children, a friend, or a relative? People cannot change people. Only God can get inside a person’s heart and cause him or her to want to change.
If we force people from the outside by making demands on them, it ends up stealing everyone’s peace. We are not created to be put under the law. People need freedom. They need space to move in.
I tried to force Dave to stop playing golf the first several years of our marriage. I felt he played too much, and I wanted to be with him more. I tried every way I could. I used every trick. I pouted. I got mad. I tried to convince him. I gave him the silent treatment. Nothing worked. I was upset all the time.
Once in a while, he would give up and not play for a while. The interesting thing was that even though I got what I wanted, I still did not have peace. I didn’t have peace because I tried to get what I wanted the wrong way.
If you are trying to force someone to change, it will steal your peace.
Are you upset with yourself a lot because you are not where you would like to be spiritually? Are you trying to change yourself? You certainly need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit concerning the work He is doing in your life. He is bringing you into perfection or maturity. You cannot do it yourself. This is another area of trying to do something you cannot do.
I am sure you can see it is a very natural thing to try to make things change that you do not like. Be realistic for a moment. How successful are you being at changing these things? Are you simply frustrating yourself and losing your peace when you should be resting in God, waiting on Him and His timing, trusting Him with the other people in your life and even with your own self?
Let me sum it up by saying this: if you are “trying to do something about something you cannot do anything about,” you will be frustrated and will not enjoy peace.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods and attitudes. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.
Joyce hosts a TV and radio show, Enjoying Everyday Life, which broadcasts worldwide to a potential audience of 4.5 billion people. She has authored 100 books, which have been translated into more than 100 languages. More than 12 million of her books have been distributed free of charge around the world, and each year millions of copies are sold.
Joyce conducts close to a dozen domestic and international conferences every year, teaching people to enjoy their everyday lives. For 30 years, her annual women's conference has attracted more than 200,000 women from all over the world to St. Louis for specifically themed teachings by her and guest speakers.
Through her teachings, God has provided opportunities to meet the needs of the suffering and bring the Gospel in a practical way. Joyce's passion to help hurting people every day is foundational to the vision of Hand of Hope, the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. These outreaches around the globe include feeding programs, medical care, homes for orphans, and programs combatting human trafficking. In her hometown of St. Louis, Joyce and Dave, her husband, founded the St. Louis Dream Center (SLDC) in 2000. The SLDC serves the inner city through hands-on programs targeted at reaching the lost and hurting with the love of Christ.
Over the years, God has provided Joyce with many opportunities to share her testimony and the life-changing message of the Gospel. Having suffered sexual abuse throughout her childhood, as well as just dealing with the struggles of everyday life, Joyce discovered the freedom to live victoriously by applying God's Word to her life and in turn desires to help others do the same.
Joyce is and continues to be an incredible testimony of the dynamic, redeeming work of Jesus Christ.