Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

This verse gives us a promise for peace as we practice the principle of keeping our mind focused on Jesus.

With all that is going on around us — loss of jobs, foreclosures, family crises, divorce, and the list goes on — it becomes increasingly important that we pray and know even in tough times God is the source of our peace.

We must understand John 10:10, in that the thief cometh not but to kill, steal and to destroy. It is Satan’s (the enemy) job to try and rob us of our peace in life.

There are many ways we can be robbed of our peace.

One of them is when your money is funny and your change is strange (financial problems) or when the kids are flipping out, your boss is on a rampage and your spouse doesn’t seem to understand what you’re going through.

It then becomes easy to lose peace of mind.

But God says if you keep your mind “stayed on me, I’ll keep you in perfect peace.”

Friends, the battle for peace is won within the confines of your mind, your thoughts and your imaginations.

Think about this: Ships don’t sink because they ride on water. Ships were made to do that.

However, ships sink when the water on the outside gets on the inside.

We lose our peace of mind when we let the external frustrations become an internal problem.

However, God designed us to overcome. But in all these things we are more than conquerors, Romans 8:37.

Even when you feel like losing it, throwing in the towel, quitting, giving up, you don’t have to.

Remember God promises you peace.

Stay committed, stay confident, stay encouraged, stay focused, stay in prayer because God has given you peace.

Sylvester Mixon Jr. is the Pastor at Unity Christian Center, Inc. in Alabaster.He can be reached at 358-8151.