Protect your peace: Yolanda Adams shares tips for how not to get sucked into drama
Article By Felicia McKesson // Spiritual Life // EEW Magazine
Looking for ways to guard your peace and avoid drama at a time when things around us are increasingly chaotic? Multiple Grammy® Award-winning gospel singer, Yolanda Adams, is giving you some helpful advice.
As part of her “21 Days of Power” series, the “Through the Storm” songstress shared peace-protection techniques—one of them being staying quiet.
“Sometimes the best way to keep your peace is to keep silent,” she said in a video uploaded to her social media platforms Tuesday, Jan. 22. “When you respond to silliness, or when you respond to meanness, or unfair commentary, it makes your spirit, and your soul get ruffled. We don’t want you to get ruffled. Not at all.”
Philippians 4:7 promises that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” That is, if you don’t get anxious, and you take your worries to Him in prayer—and stay removed from drama.
“Do what you have to [in order] to maintain that level of quietness and stillness, because there is where the peace comes from,” instructed the 57-year-old author of Points of Power: Discover a Spirit-Filled Life of Joy and Purpose.
According to Adams, guarding your peace “doesn’t mean that things around you won’t feel all [chaotic], because sometimes they do. But, again, you’re only responsible for your actions,” and cannot control what others do.
“When you respond to silliness, or when you respond to meanness, or unfair commentary, it makes your spirit, and your soul get ruffled. ”
“Unfortunately,” she continued, “people will do things to make you react and respond. Do not respond in kind. Be the peace on this earth that you need to be, because right now … we need so much peace.”
Hebrews 12:14 says “Follow peace with all men,” which she acknowledges isn’t the easiest thing to do depending on the nature, habits, and tendencies of the person you’re dealing with at the time.
In cases when you feel things may be escalating, Adams said, “Love yourself enough to know when to walk away. Just do that. And I mean walk away from the situation. If you have to walk away from people, so be it.”
For those who may be in a troubled marriage or family situation, the former radio personality was cautious about telling followers to exit that relationship.
“I am not an advocate for walking away from people prematurely, because sometimes they just don’t know. Sometimes you have to teach people how to treat you, but teach people how to treat you in peace,” she explained. “[Tell them], no you just can’t say anything to me, and you just can’t do anything and think that I’m going to be okay with it. That’s how you respond.”
Setting boundaries for yourself is a must to guard your preace, according to Adams, who is a survivor of domestic abuse. If you are being physically harmed in a relationship, she said, “You already know. That is not God’s plan for you.”