Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NKJV)
Holy Spirit is in you, as a believer. He’s not there to beat you up about your mistakes or remind you of your shortcomings. He’s there to help you realize what you have in Christ, including peace, love and joy.
The problem is that when we’re in a depressed, angry or anxious state, all the evidence around us points to the fact that we are justified in feeling that way. Even if people around us try to get us out of that state, we think they just don’t understand.
Meanwhile, we have Holy Spirit inside us! We are spiritually alive! We are filled with joy, peace and love!
If I were at home complaining that I was cold, you could say, “Leon, go put on a sweater.” It would be as simple as going to my closet and putting on a sweater, right? I wouldn’t have to go to my neighbour’s house or the store to find one. I own a sweater. I just need to put it on.
Well, when the Bible talks about the armour of God, it says to put on peace. It doesn’t say you have to go look for it. You already have peace, so you can choose to put it on. Holy Spirit is in you, so peace is yours.
It sounds too simple, but it really is. You have the power to choose peace. Every morning, you can decide, “I’m going to be at peace. I’m going to love people. And I’m going to spread joy!”
Peace, love and joy are in your spiritual closet. Wear them every day!