Developing Tranquilized Mind

One of the core parts of life that controls life's walk is the mind. People's intelligent decisions and responses emanate from the mind. This mind can be in a state of either tranquility or disturbance, which then affects interpersonal relations as well as the efficiency of the person. The peace from the Lord is what gives the mind tranquility. As one studies the Bible, it can be noted that God has many laws for each aspect of life. These different aspects of life can go in the following directions:

• Family relations
• Social life
• Self-esteem
• Work/Career

God's peace is embraced if and only if one keeps His laws. God has done good things and also brought judgment upon His people. These can be observed by studying the Books of Jeremiah and Lamentations. He made them choose life or death, blessing or curse. So it is imperative to be girded with the knowledge of His laws. People who lack knowledge can perish, thinking of their own 'righteousness.'

So to keep His goodness in one's mind and body, His Royal Laws and His Statutes have to be kept. People's family relations and social life have to be dealt with more by His Royal Law—Love. And one's inner life, glory, and success in career will be kept well by observing His statutes, which are personally whispered to each of us by God accordingly. The Royal Law is the same for all: Be merciful, be forgiving, be believing, be patient, be humble. To keep these laws and commandments is not just a better option, as if one can live a normal life without them. No—it is a choice of black or white: life or death, paradise or hell, blessing or curse, light or darkness. The Bible teaches us how the people of God suffered when they neglected His ways. They were given over to famine, plagues, sword, and beasts. Women even cooked their babies for food during times of severe hunger. And in the New Testament, we are warned of more punishments if we ignore Christ Jesus and His words. So it is not just a better option for either this earthly life or the coming life but the only option. That is why we need to fear God, not just through reverence but through fear of His judgment. If His chosen people in the Old Testament did not escape severe judgment, neither can we.

One's tranquility is directly related to how willing one is to live in longsuffering and prudence in order to live in objective love and reverence. It is not easy to walk in love and humility. But if one keeps the fear of God (not just love or respect for Him, but fear), then it will be easier to overcome the consequential emotional responses of the ego. One can walk through the narrow path with love and reverence amidst social and family life. People wait for us every day to be stumbling blocks. But if one passes the test by acting prudently and patiently to live in love and truth according to God's expectations, then that person is an overcomer—a tranquil, blessed, and fortunate one. But if one misses the time and chance to show true love during challenging times, then what awaits is the obvious: remorseful consequences, besides uneasiness of the mind.

One of the reasons people fail to live with love is their limited knowledge of the truth. When Jesus carried the cross, He did it knowing what it would bring to humanity, and He also knew that it was His Father's will, which would eventually bring His exaltation. So when one decides to walk in love, emotions and sentiments should not be the grounds, but rather God's promised reward and also the fear of God. King Solomon taught us in the Book of Proverbs that one can be said to have knowledge and wisdom if the person has the fear of the Lord. This is because prudent choices can be made with it, and life can be secured with success and peace thereafter.

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 16:22
Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent, but folly brings punishment to fools.

Hence, by objectively walking in love and truth, one can keep a tranquil mind. The word "truth" in this context refers to avoiding impatience and foolishness, especially in the way the mouth utters words. Sometimes people may assume that their greed is righteous and that their hypocritical actions and deluded assumptions add up to love. But the scripture advises us this way:

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.

Hence, to be filled with such truth is very needful.

Time does not only matter to humans but also to God. Once we start following God, the 24 hours in each day, the days of the week, and the months of the year can be utilized in an optimum way by working with Him. As coworkers of Christ, we can independently receive His counsel on how to spend time. In fact, there is a wrong way and a right way to spend time—not just sinful or righteous, but effective or ineffective. God cares about your effectiveness not just for your sake only, but since you are His dwelling place, your life is engaged with His kingdom in ways more than you understand. One of the ways you can confirm that you have aligned to His will in using your time rightly is by observing how tranquil and peaceful you feel. As you stay diligent in your devotions, you will hear God whisper to your soul about new things to do, which will eventually make you influential and successful.

The two walks of life—walking in virtuous and benevolent prudence, and hearing God’s guidance—are related. The former is wrought by a willing mind that is filled with the fear of God and His grace, while the latter is life-changing wisdom that flows from the inner self to the mind. Here is how they are related: There are people near us placed by God for a purpose. The love we show to these people is sometimes accompanied by longsuffering because people are not always good. One has to carry a burden of patience against their disappointing characters. As one keeps on pleasing God through longsuffering and goodness, His wisdom keeps on flowing to the conscious mind like a river without hindrance. So the person will achieve rest and tranquility with such ease. But if that person grows tired of walking in love and starts disputing and returning evil for evil, then the promised tranquility will only be achieved through a tougher and more painful time of testing. During such times, crying, losing hope, turning back from the path of life, and more stressful struggles may inevitably linger with the person. So the only and best option one has is to carry the burden—the easy yoke which Christ Jesus told us to carry. He told His disciples in Matthew 11:29:

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

So this is the right and safe road to walk on—humbleness and gentleness for the sake of love. Hence, with the very people God has put around you, carry the yoke of Christ as you walk toward your destiny. And life will grow to His image with the lowest cost.

Conclusion

Jesus Christ our Shepherd is always with us to nurture us by feeding us the food and drink of life. But our journey with our Lord can be filled with tranquility and success only if we abide in Him through three important ways:

• Regular prayer
• Regular Bible study
• Virtuous life

One has to do all three of them diligently. This is because the judgment of God is a fearful thing to fall into. Not only sin is judged, but failing to do His will correctly also has harsh consequences. Remember Aaron's sons, how they boldly brought unauthorized fire before the Lord, and it led to their immediate death. Another example is Uzzah, who was leading the ark of God in a new cart. When the oxen carrying the cart stumbled, Uzzah took hold of the ark. But it led to his death because that was an irreverent act before God. So life's peace and tranquility can be kept by walking with all the above three spiritual commandments. They will keep us prudent from falling into judgment, and they will also keep us strong in spirit and in soul. If we apply them with care, we can secure tranquility and prosperity. But if we do not, the mind will be filled with delusions and false assumptions besides the obvious suffering. So start today to use your time wisely by setting schedules to pray and read. And in addition, use every opportunity to walk in love and prudence.