Peace for the Mind Fixed on Him

Here is one of the most practical keys to peace, and it has to do with where your mind rests. The verse doesn't say God gives peace to those who never have problems; it says he keeps in perfect peace the one whose mind is fixed on him. Notice: peace doesn't come from emptying your mind, but from where you fix it. The anxious mind fixes itself on the problem — clings to it, circles around it all day long. And whatever holds your fixed attention governs your state. If you spend the day with your thoughts stuck on the threat, your heart lives in alarm. But when you fix your thoughts on God — on who he is, on what he has already done, on his promises — peace follows. It isn't magic; it's a matter of where you look. Today, do this exercise several times: notice where your mind has run. Is it fixed on the problem, or fixed on God? And gently, without beating yourself up, bring it back to him. Peace isn't found in the absence of the problem — it's found in the presence of the One you choose to look at.