Isaiah 26:3 says “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.” Reflecting on this verse, A.W. Tozer wrote, “The only fear I have is to get out of the will of God. Outside of the will of God, there’s nothing I want, and in the will of God there’s nothing I fear.” As long as we are in the will of God, He has promised to keep us and to give us peace.
What else could we possibly want from life? It feels as if that question should be rhetorical, but so many professing Christians seem to answer with things like happiness, safety, and success. These are all temporary affections promoted by an American Christianity, not by Biblical teaching.
I think it comes down to a simple question: is God enough for you? If you had nothing but God, would that be enough? If not, I challenge you to reconsider if you are actually a follower of Jesus. If you want more than the perfect peace and presence of God then you are seeking things outside His will. God’s will is simple: do what He told us all to do so He will be glorified and His Kingdom will come to be on earth as it is in Heaven. We get out of His will when we begin pursuing anything other than glorifying Him and building His Kingdom. These are the two things we have all been created to do.
What is more important to you than building the Kingdom of God? Have you noticed in the pursuit of your own dreams and desires you are often stressed out and unsettled? That’s a long way from the perfect peace God promises. It’s because our own pursuits are selfish and not aligned with God’s will. He gave you amazing gifts and passions not to pursue your own purposes, but rather for glorifying Him and building His Kingdom. When you are seeking His Kingdom first, you will find using your gifts for Him results in the peace you’ve been seeking rather than the longing and frustration you’ve experienced otherwise.
The choice is yours and it’s quite simple; stay in God’s will and find perfect peace, knowing He will keep you close; or step outside His will and see if you can do better on your own. I think we all know how that story ends. What if you achieve your every goal and accumulate more money than you could ever spend by doing things your own way? What will it matter in the end? You will have traded an eternity of love and dwelling in the presence of your Savior and Creator for seventy or eighty years of selfish fulfillment.
When we stay in the will of God, He will keep us and we will experience perfect peace. Those are not synonymous with safety and happiness. We may experience trouble and heartache in this world. We may live in less than ideal conditions. We may be lonely and unhappy. Through it all, we can experience the supernatural comfort and peace of Jesus simply by staying in His will. It comes down to the decision of whom we will serve. Will we serve Jesus and live our lives to glorify Him, or live to serve ourselves and trade what is guaranteed to last for things that are guaranteed to be taken away? Do you want to know perfect peace? Stay in God’s will; do the things He commanded you to do and stop living for yourself.