Do You Need a Little Peace?

I get it. When life feels chaotic and stressful, I take a deep breath and pray, “Oh Lord, I need a little peace here.”

Romans 8 is one of the most life-giving, encouraging passages in the New Testament. I’ve heard it said that if you’re only going to memorize one passage of Scripture, make it Romans 8. It promises confidence and peace. If you haven’t read it for a while, I suggest you pull out your Bible and spend a bit of time soaking in the freedom found in Paul’s words.

It begins with no condemnation and ends with no separation. Oh, what comforting truth!

Just this past week, I spent some time soaking in this amazing portion of Scripture. I was reminded that:

There is no condemnation for you if you are in Christ (Romans 8:1). When guilt or shame comes knocking, remind yourself that you look as righteous to God the Father as Jesus, His Son, because you are in Christ. No guilt. No shame. No accusations from the evil one can take root. This truth means that you are completely free from condemnation. Don’t forget, Satan is the accuser. He lives to accuse those who are in Christ. However, the truth is that because you are in Christ, there is no condemnation for you. All his accusations fall away in the face of our beloved Jesus. You are covered by His righteousness.

Your mind can be governed by the Holy Spirit. “The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). I can tell when my mind is being governed by me rather than by the Holy Spirit. Can’t you? When my mind is governed by the Holy Spirit, there is a pervading calm over my thoughts. When my mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit, I am able to rest in God’s love. I’ve learned to pray every morning and throughout the day, “Come, Holy Spirit, take over my thinking.”

Nothing can separate you from God’s love. You are securely held. It’s easy, when life goes awry, to feel abandoned by God. However, that is simply not true. In Romans 8:38–39, Paul reminds us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” You could take a month and simply meditate on that promise. Nothing! Absolutely nothing can separate you from God’s love.

Friend, there is so much truth tucked into Romans 8 that I can’t possibly share it all in one blog post. May I encourage you? Open your Bible this week and spend some time diving in. Ask God to speak to your heart as you read. Circle the phrases that stand out to you. Allow the Holy Spirit to print His truth on your heart.

This week on the Connected Mom Podcast, we’re re-airing our episode with Sheryl Giesbrecht on what to do when you feel invisible in your motherhood journey. 

Fall is right around the corner. If your church is considering a Bible study, I hope you’ll consider Our Father. The videos are available on RightNow Media, and it’s a wonderful study for anyone who wants to dive deeper into the Lord’s Prayer.