IS IT JUST ME, or does the state of the
world seem to be deteriorating? It seems as though chaos is overtaking sanity
in every corner of the globe—in regions, countries, states, cities, towns and
homes. I’ve gotten to a point where I’ve found the daily world and national
news so stomach heaving that I can’t read or watch it anymore. The local news
is only a smidgen better, but I suspect it won’t be long until I disengage from
that, too. It seems peace remains forever elusive.
DEFINING
TRUE PEACE
So just how
are we supposed to experience peace amidst this chaos? Is it a futile goal?
The Bible
tells us that it is not a futile hope, that we can grab hold of it, in spite of
the conflict swirling around us. God encourages us to look forward to it in the
future. What we need to do, though, is properly define true peace. Is it simply a cessation of wars and turmoil? Or
is it something deeper, more lasting and effectual?
AN
ABSENCE OF CONFLICT, OR MUCH MORE?
David
Brickner, the executive director of Jews for Jesus wrote about this subject in
the organization’s September newsletter. Here’s part of his editorial:
“Peace is
not merely an absence of conflict. The Hebrew word shalom conveys the idea of
complete, sound, wholeness of life, harmony, right relationship. Ultimately
these things come only from the Creator of all things. Our Maker. As believers
in Jesus, we know that intellectually, but do we know it deep in our hearts?
“In order
to have world peace, first we need peace between parties where it was
originally broken. The story of shattered peace began long before nations
started to war against one another. In Genesis 3, we see how people became
alienated from God and one another. It happened when Eve and Adam made a grab
for what belonged to God, trying to gain wisdom apart from their Maker, wanting
to become masters of their own destiny. In one act of distrust and disobedience
they, and subsequently we, tore themselves away from the only true Giver of
life.
“The
Psalmist cries out, ‘Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us,
and not we ourselves’ (Psalm 100:3). Yet there’s not a person alive who doesn’t
think, say and do things that show we do not know that God is God. We
continually try to take His place in our attempts at sovereignty. It’s
spiritual insanity.”
Have you
ever thought of your actions as spiritual insanity? I know most of us tell
ourselves we’re good people, and we’re just trying to do our best. But
honestly, that’s not always true, and sometimes it rarely is. Can we really
expect anything else but detours and halting steps from our puny, human selves? Jesus pointed out that we can
do nothing (and nothing means nothing) without Him; and that it’s hard to kick
against the goad. When you keep trying to kick against God and His rules
(remember: God’s kingdom, His rules) you get really bloodied toes.
Then
Brickner goes on to state the heart of the issue: “In breaking our peace with
God, we became broken. Because we are broken, we lack peace within
ourselves…and so we are incapable of making lasting peace with one another.”
We have
broken our peace with God.
Because we
are broken, we lack internal peace.
Because we
lack internal peace, we’re incapable of enjoying lasting peace with others.
Sounds
pretty depressing and hopeless. And it would be, if it weren’t for one
wonderful, game-changing fact—that the Prince of Peace himself entered the
world for the purpose of reconciling man to God. For paying the broken
relationship debt and wiping it out. Once and for all. There is absolutely
nothing—NOTHING—any of us could do
or can do in our own power now to restore that broken relationship. And the
sweet news is that we don’t need to try, because Jesus paid it all. It is He who gives us internal peace in the face of turbulence, in the midst of a shattered, hurting world.
PEACE
THROUGH FAITH
God took
care of this peace problem through His son Jesus. The only way for us to enjoy
that restoration peace is through faith in Jesus. No other way. Running around
doing good works won’t do it. Praying a certain number of times a day facing a
specific direction won’t do it. Nor will belonging to a certain group, praying
a certain way, following a specific man-made ritual. It was a done deal over
2,000 years ago. It’s the only way to peace. God said it was so. And since it’s
His kingdom, He gets to make the rules. We can’t alter them, climb over them,
or skirt around them because it’s more comfortable for us. Ignoring them and
pleading ignorance won’t work either.
A
CONSTANT REFILLING
Brickner
reminds us that peace is a component of the fruit of thee Holy Spirit. It’s a
renewable resource, but only if you have the power of the Holy Spirit within
you that can keep refilling you. Brickner recounts a story of the famous
preacher Dwight L Moody who was asked by some believers why he continually
pressed Christians to be refilled over and over again with the Spirit. Moody’s
answer? “Well, I need a continual refilling because I leak!” Ever feel that
way? Like a leaky pot?
The analogy
works for me because about every third day this time of year in the hot, dry Southwest
I have to go outside and refill my potted plants with water. Enough water to
saturate the soil. I know I’ve squirted in enough water when I see it dribbling
out the pot’s hole in the bottom. But when I don’t faithfully re-water (if
there’s been no rain, which is likely), I’ll look outside and see limp or
shriveled up plants. Like some believers. Oh, they’re saved, but they’re
spiritually parched. And they don’t know why. They don’t have peace in their
hearts. They’re in emotional and spiritual turmoil. Everything they had in
their soul container has leaked out. They need a refilling.
You fill,
pour out and refill and pour out some more, and go through the process all over
again. That’s what prayer closet and retreat times are for. You can’t get by
effectively without them.
NOT
SURPRISED BY TROUBLE AND TURMOIL
We need to
constantly remind ourselves of this fact: Until Jesus returns and puts an end
to it, there will always be trouble in the world. And because of that, even
though we need to continually pray for peace, we first need to remember that
trouble will be on-going, and in order to enjoy perfect internal peace in the
midst of that trouble (which Jesus says we can possess!), we need to start
looking no further than our own hearts. We need to look no further than Him.
And there’s
something else we need to remember. Scripture tells us how the world’s talk of
peace can give us a false sense of security. The Apostle Paul reminds us that
when people are talking about peace and security and all is looking well in the
world is when we’re going to get blindsided by swift destruction. A pretty
sobering reality.
So why not
enjoy emotional and spiritual peace now, in the midst of the storm? Reap the
benefits of it before the false, temporary peace shows up? Possess it, enjoy,
share it, and tell others how to have it.
While external
conflict is raging around the world, internal conflict—that which lies within
your heart and soul—can be snuffed out and replaced by the kind of peace that
really does surpass all rational understanding or explanation.
It is the
peace given by the Creator. Who better to receive it from than the One who
invented it to begin with and uses it as a title?
Until next week.
Blessings,
Andrea
May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul
prospers (3 John 2).
Photos courtesy of Google Images and Andrea A. Owan
No comments:
Post a Comment