A very wise sister-in-Christ, who has recently gone on to be with the Lord, imparted words of wisdom to me… And I would like to share them with you… When talking about one of the mottos she had chosen to live by, was this:
“To Govern Yourself and Guard Your Peace.”
I had never heard that phrase before, and I thanked her for sharing her words of wisdom with me. I certainly didn’t know that in a short period of time, following that conversation God would call her home. My friendship with Rica altered my life, deepened my walk with God and showed me the type of people that God wanted me to surround myself with – people who were TRULY “working out their salvation in Him.” The Body of Christ should not be tearing each other down (like a cancer set out to destroy the body), but one that builds each other up in Him. What a difference it makes when you surround yourself with people who realize that “there go I BUT for the grace of God.” People who don’t have ALL the answers themselves – but are committed to looking to the One Who DOES have all the answers – GOD and are striving to building each other up in Him. Recognizing that since the Bible says in Romans 12:4:
“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”
So, when you stub your toe, the pain radiates from the toe ALL the way up to the brain, the WHOLE body feels the pain. Such should be the case within the body of Christ. THIS is what those of us who are called to be God’s remnant are doing. In “governing your peace” we need to make sure that we are not part of the problem, but part of the solution. Are you part of the problem? OR are you part of the solution? Are people seeing the light of Christ IN you? Or are they seeing someone whose fruit is not in line with who and what God called us to be and do? As you grow in Him, your spirit matures in the gift of discernment, and you begin to recognize the difference between someone who is TRULY in Christ and those that are wolves in sheep’s clothing. A wolf in sheep’s clothing is symbolic for someone who outwardly looks harmless and kind with good intentions but inwardly is full of hate, evil and deceit. This person seeks to twist truth and Scripture to fit their own agenda. They love power and themselves, they refuse correction and respond with criticism and anger, they use emotions to get what they want, they lack the fruit of the spirit (Which can be found in Galatians 5:22-23). When you confront a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the response will not be one of humility and repentance. This person will respond with anger, bitterness, and often turn the criticism back on you. Their main goal in life is self-preservation and will not let anyone get in the way of their authority. A wolf will appear meek in front of an audience but will show aggression when confronted. The Bible warns us in Matthew 7:15:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
Rica’s words of advice have strengthened me and have become MY mantra for 2022. Ephesians 5:15-17 says:
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
I believe we are living in the last days and every person who reads these words should reflect on them and consider doing the same. I looked up the definition of “govern.” And this is what I found:
“To Govern is to exercise authority over; rule, administer, direct, control, manage, etc.”
While we do not have any control over the way others “govern” themselves or how they treat others, we DO have control over ourselves – how we act, how we respond, what we say; we CAN make sure we walk in the way the Bible tells us to walk in Christ and to act accordingly. Proverbs 25:28 says:
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
Isaiah 26:3 tells those of us who trust God, that if we keep our minds stayed on HIM, He will keep our minds in perfect peace:
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
So, in “governing ourselves” we should check to make sure our minds ARE focused on God and on His Word, and if we have lost our peace check ourselves to find out if this is why, also in governing ourselves we need to walk in wisdom because we ARE in a spiritual war. This war is occurring ALL around us, and ol’ slewfoot fights dirty. Have you dressed in the spiritual armor talked about in Ephesians 6:10-18 or are you walking around spiritually “buck-naked” (who came up with that term anyhow? :)) open for attacks by the enemy? satan isn’t going to come at you with piddly attacks, he’s going to try to hit you where it hurts – I call them “heart-attacks” because he goes for the jugular and attacks you where it hurts the most – your heart. He is out for blood, but if you learn to “govern yourself” you will be prepared for the onslaught and your foundation will be built upon God’s Word and His direction, and that most certainly IS where our peace comes from – the Prince of Peace Himself! Ephesians 6:10-18 reads as follows:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
One of the ways of “governing yourself” is by immersing yourself in the Word of God. Soak it in, drench yourself in it. READ it. Holy Spirit WILL speak to you, He will direct your attention to the scriptures you MOST need to hear and reflect on that will minister to you, strengthen you and build you up in whatever you are experiencing, that’s why they call it the “Living Word of God.” Holy Spirit was sent to be our Comforter, our instructor and if you open your heart to ALL that He wants to show you, He most certainly will. Jesus Himself told the disciples in John 16:7-15:
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Guarding your peace is making sure that nothing gets in the way of you keeping it, before this term was presented to me, I had no idea I had to guard it! (LOL). James 1:22-27 says:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. “
Do a surveillance of your surroundings, who and what are you allowing to surround the perimeter of your life? What are they bringing to the table? What are you watching? What are you listening to? What are you reading? What are you allowing to enter into your ears, your eyes, your heart? What’s coming out of your mouth? The Bible says in Proverbs 4:3:
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
And Matthew 15:18-20 indicates:
“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
If you are filled with anxiety, troubled, worried and fretful – these are all signs that your peace needs guarding and perhaps it has been invaded, if that is the case, go to God in prayer and ask Holy Spirit to show you where and how the attack occurred. Ask Holy Spirit to minister to you, show you if there is something YOU need to ask for forgiveness for or where the breach occurred. Ask Holy Spirit to heal the hurt and give you wisdom as to how to govern yourself in a way that your peace can be restored. God is GREATER than any situation that occurs in our lives and He will answer you, it might be that you need to re-evaluate the atmosphere around you, who you have allowed in your “inner-circle,” where you are going, how you are living, what you are allowing into your spirit by way of watching, reading or listening. Ask God to fill you with His wisdom and He will show you what needs changing, He IS the restorer of peace. It is not God’s will that we be in turmoil. The most important part of “governing ourselves” is in knowing WHO to go to, to show us how and He most definitely WILL. Like a watchman on a tower, we need to protect our hearts, protect our minds, protect our spirit and the BEST way of doing that is going to the Father, the restorer of peace. Isaiah 26:3 says:
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
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