How To Have Peace Of Mind Series

How To Have Peace of Mind

We live in a very uptight world. This is an age of tension. This is an age of anxiety. We all face situations that make us tense and rob us of peace of mind. A major cause of heart attacks and high blood pressure is tension and stress. Most tension is really the result of unresolved conflict. If you have an argument with somebody at work – it affects your job – but it also affects your life. People have said, “Leave your work at work – but the truth of the matter is that our emotional and mental states are always with us – they are part of who we are.

Today we are going to look at the life of Moses. He was a man who learned how to resolve the basic issues of life. As a result he became a prime example of how to enjoy peace of mind. I think Moses was one of the greatest men of faith in the Old Testament. Here is what Hebrews chapter eleven says about him:

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.” Hebrews 11:23-29 (NASB)

He was truly a man of faith. Yet if anybody had a right to be uptight – it was Moses. He was called by God to lead two million Israelites out of the land of Egypt. They were to cross the desert and go into a new country called Israel – the Promised Land. It was a great that God had called him for such a task – but for nearly the entire time the people complained, argued, and fought. They spent forty years wandering around the wilderness and that time for Moses could not have been easy.

Moses had every right to be uptight – but the Bible tells us that character of Moses was that of gentleness and humbleness. The Bible says:

“Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3 (NASB)

The Bible in Basic English says it this way:

“Now the man Moses was more gentle than any other man on earth.” Numbers 12:3 (BBE)

Humbleness and gentleness are attitudes that lead to quiet confidence – inner tranquility – peace of mind. They are attitudes that keep you from getting ruffled and upset when things get hot. They are attitudes that say, “When everybody’s coming down on me – I’m going to look up. When everybody around me is uptight and hot – I’m going to keep my cool. I’m going to do what’s right – no matter what others around me do.”

THE FOUR BASIC QUESTIONS OF LIFE

Why was Moses able to have peace of mind? Why was he able to be at peace with himself? Because Moses was a man who knew the answers to four basic questions of life. Every decision he made was based on the answers to these questions. He did not live by his feelings – he did not live by his emotions – he did not live by the opinions of others – instead he had a life of faith – because he knew the answers to four basic questions. Because he knew the answers to four basic questions he could live with peace of mind.

Whether you are a teenager or a senior citizen or somewhere in between – each of us eventually has to deal with these four basic questions. If you can learn answers these questions – you’ll learn how to be calm in a crisis. You’ll learn how to be strong under stress. You’ll learn how to be at peace under pressure.

In our text today we read how Moses dealt with four questions.

The first question he dealt with was:

1. “Who am I?” (v. 24)

The second question he dealt with was:

2. “Who do I want to be?” (v. 25)