16 Ways to Experience Jesus' Peace

Don't you love it when a Christian tells you that it's a sin to worry. Which only causes you to sin more, because then you start worrying more. Or perhaps a preacher says that you need to pray more or memorize promises found in Scripture.

Christians love to tell other Christians not to worry and to just trust Jesus. But the problem is you do trust Jesus, but you can't help but find yourself in your insecurities.

Perhaps you aren't experiencing Jesus' peace because you aren't putting yourself in a position to. Maybe you are punching yourself in the face and not understanding why you are feeling pain.

Here are sixteen practical ideas to help you better experience the peace that Jesus wants you to:

1) Turn off the technology.

2) Read a fictional book.

3) Have a long talk with a Christian friend. Friendships should leave you feeling revitalized.

4) Drink hot tea. It sounds girly, but hot tea (especially with chamomile) helps ease the stress.

5) Drink a beer. This is not for me, because beer on my taste buds has the flavor of urine (that's an assumption). This probably drives some of you crazy, but some of the godliest men I know will unwind by drinking a beer from time to time.

6) Learn to laugh.

7) Don't be so competitive.

8) Forget politics.

9) Create margin in your life.

10) Spend time not worrying about your future. It's good to spend time focusing on something else...like the present.

11) Enjoy your spouse. Have fun with them. Stress often comes because we aren't connecting with the one person that we share complete unity in the world with. Maybe instead of that relationship being a source of stress, you could view it as a gift from God.

12) It's okay to miss a day of _________. For me that blank is a blog post. It drives me crazy to miss a post Monday through Friday. In fact this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but it didn't happen. It's okay to miss a day of something. What's your blank?

13) Take a drive. (But don't stress about gas.)

14) Meditate on Jesus. Not as in an Eastern religion meditation, but as one of the spiritual disciplines. Take time and really think about Jesus. Maybe picture Jesus actually telling you that one word.

15) Think about past successes. Sometimes by focusing on past achievements, you are encouraged and given peace about current problems.

16) Deal with your garbage. Forgive the people you need to forgive. And ask for forgiveness from the people you have wronged. 

Almost every suggestion encourages one thing--to enjoy life. Not recklessly or sinfully, but to slow down and learn to enjoy Jesus' peace. If you are a Christian, it's there. You might have to put yourself in a position to enjoy it.

Question:
What do you do to place yourself in a position to experience Jesus' peace?