"Peace, where is peace—for our nations, our homes, and most of all for our hearts and minds?" This desperate cry has been heard through the ages. Is it also the cry of your heart?

People are weary and worried. Without a doubt there is a need for direction and counsel, security and confidence. We need, and want, peace of mind.

Peace of mind—what a treasure! Can this treasure be found in a world of so much conflict and despair, turmoil and trouble?

The great search is on! Many people are seeking peace in fame and fortune, in pleasure and power, in education and knowledge, in human relationships and marriage. They desire to fill their heads with knowledge and their purses with wealth, but their souls remain empty. Others are seeking to escape the realities of life with drugs or alcohol, but the peace they seek eludes them. They are still empty and lonely, still in a troubled world with a troubled mind.

Man in Turmoil
God created man and placed him in a beautiful garden to enjoy perfect peace, joy, and happiness. But when Adam and Eve disobeyed, they were at once stricken with guilt. Where before they had longed for the presence of God, now they hid themselves with shame. Guilt and fear replaced the peace and happiness they had known. Man's sin was the beginning of a troubled world—and a troubled mind.

Although our soul longs for God, our sinful nature rebels at His ways. This inner struggle causes tension and distress. When we, like Adam and Eve, are self-centered in our desires and ambitions, we become anxious and fretful. The more we focus on ourselves, the more troubled we become. The uncertainties of life and the changing, decaying world shake our security and disturb our peace.

Although you may not have recognized or acknowledged it, sin could be the reason for your uneasiness. Many people search among outward and material things to find peace. They blame the troubled world for their troubled mind. But they fail to look within their own heart.

Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace
There can be no peace until all aspects of life are brought into harmony with the One who made and understands us. This is only possible by a complete surrender to Christ. He is not only master of the world but knows our life from the beginning to the end. He was thinking of us when He came into the world "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79).

Jesus offers light for darkness, peace for strife, joy for sorrow, hope for despair, and life for death. He says in St John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto youLet not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Repentance Brings Peace of Mind
When you feel the heavy load of sin weighing you down, the remedy is to "Repentand be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). Jesus invites you to this most meaningful, life-changing experience. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). 1 John 1:9 promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Will you accept His invitation?

When you come to Jesus, you will find forgiveness and freedom. Instead of resentment and unforgiveness, your heart is filled with love and mercy. With Jesus reigning in your heart, you will love your enemies. This is possible through the power of Christ's redeeming blood.

Abiding Peace
As a Christian, faith in God and trust in His care is the antidote for fear and anxiety. How restful it is to trust in an unchanging God who is from everlasting to everlasting. He loves us and will always care for us. So why worry and fret? Learn to do as we read in 1 Peter 5:7, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." We also have the promise, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isaiah 26:3).

With Jesus Christ in your heart, your search for peace is over. He will give peace and a calm that comes only from trusting Him. You will be able to say with the poet:

I know a peace, where there is no peace,
A calm, where wild winds blow,
A secret place where face to face
With the Master I may go.
-Ralph Spaulding Cushman

You will have peace of mind in a troubled world! Open the door of your heart to Christ—just now—and someday He'll open the door of heaven for you, where perfect peace will reign for ever and ever.

Source