Things That Are Better Than Money (part 3)
By Olusegun Ibikunle
Happiness comes out naturally as a result of peace of mind, that is, when you have peace of mind within you, automatically you will be happy. Nobody or no amount of money can make you happy except you make yourself happy from the well of peace of mind drawn within you (right inside of you from your heart). Mind you, “happiness” is absolutely different “joy” – permit to say this is the topic for another day in the future.
Money is good but peace is better. Peace of mind is far above money in the kingdom of God. Peace of God creates an conducive environment for ideas that rule the world .
The world can give money but can never give peace of God. This is explained better in John 14:27 KJV “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” This Scripture made us to understand better that peace is better than money because when the Lord Jesus Christ was about leaving the earth after His earthly ministry, what He left with His disciples is peace – what He gave His disciples is peace – it is not money.
After His resurrection, when Jesus appeared to His disciples where they were hiding from the fear of the persecution of the Jews, what He first ministered to them was peace (not money ) because money was not solution to their fear but peace : John 20:19 KJV “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”
When He was commissioning them to go into the world to preach the Gospel on His final word at His departure, He also ministered peace (not money ) – John 20:21 “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
Peace is better than money because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is our peace : Ephesians 2:14VKJV “For he (Jesus Christ ) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.”
All about our calling as children of God is peace – not money : 1 Corinthians 7:15 “……God hath called us to peace.” The Gospel we preach is all about peace – not money : Ephesians 2:17 and Ephesians 6:15 “And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
The Christianity is a Gospel of peace because our God is God of peace : 1Thessalonians 5:23 and Philippians 4:9 “And the very God of peace….the God of peace shall be with you..” Our God is author of peace – He is not author of confusion for His children : 1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Peace can never cause confusion but money has capacity or ability to cause confusion!
The desire of God for ALL of us (His children ) is to live in peace because peace is better than money : 2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”
All the Christians (the children of God) on earth cannot be rich and wealthy financially: Deuteronomy 15:11 “For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” But all of us ( all the children of God on earth ) can have peace by all means on the earth : 2 Thessalonians 3:16 “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.” This is what makes peace better than money.
In the world, genuinely born again Christians will face tribulation. It is peace in Jesus Christ (the peace of God ) that will see us through – not money : John 16:33 “These things I (Jesus Christ ) have spoken unto you (the genuinely born again Christians ), that in me (Jesus Christ ) ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Every true child of has peace with God , although may not have money. In the world, there is trouble, but it is the responsibility of every true believer to make sure his or her heart is not trouble :
John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” A troubled heart lacks the peace of God.
The peace of God is divine peace which is the peace of mind that every true believer must have in the midst of trouble in the world. This divine peace (the peace of God ) does not mean absence of trouble, war, life storms, problems, challenges, etc. in the world but absolute absence of trouble internally in the heart of a true believer despite all the storms around him or her externally, that is, absolute calmness within – peace of mind inside of him or her – you are not troubled in your heart no matter the negative situations and circumstances around you!
It is only divine peace of God that can do this – money cannot do it.This is why peace is better than money. In the midst of trouble or danger, you are calm and even you sleep in the face of death like apostle Peter in Acts 12:6 when king Herod was to kill him that night! Acts 12:6 “And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.”
Also like Daniel in the face of death in the den of the lions ( Daniel 6:1-28), he was calm and even sleeping among the deadly, fierce hungry lions – Daniel ‘s heart was not troubled! He had the peace of mind (the peace of God ) . Money cannot do this, this is why peace is better than money.
Furthermore , just like our Lord Jesus Christ was calm and sleeping in the midst of danger or storm on the sea that would have claimed or destroyed human lives and properties : Mark 4:37 -39 “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
To study in detail for a better and deeper understanding, read for free this rich and Holy Spirit filled publication at KDP AMAZON, my book : “Pastor’s Little Foxes: The Secrets Of Pastor’s Little Foxes In The Vineyard”
Note: Proverbs 23:23 NKJV “Buy the truth, and do not sell it…”
Please, bless someone or group of people in Christian community with this publication by sharing it. It means that you belong to the great company of the children of God who published it – Psalms 68:11 KJV “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.”
