Think you ended up on the wrong blog? Don’t worry;
you’re in the right place! I thought the New Year
warranted a new, simpler look. More changes are planned in the next several
weeks. I hope you enjoy them!
In January, I sent you treasure
hunting for joy, and for Joy, which came gift-wrapped in swaddling clothes and
lying in an animal feed trough for all of the world over 2000 years ago. This
year we’ll do some more exploring.
Peace.
Illusive, hard-won, shaky, tenuous, much-sought-after peace.
I’m a research and definition nerd,
so I’ll start with a definition of the word. Merriam-Webster.com lists five
separate meanings for peace. They
include:
1. a state of
tranquility or quiet: as
a. freedom from civil disturbance
b. a state of security or order
within a community provided for by law or custom
2. freedom from
disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
3. harmony in
personal relations
4. a. a state or
period of mutual concord between governments.
b. a pact or agreement to end hostilities
between those who have been at war or in a
state of enmity.
5. [Or] Used
interjectionally to ask for silence or calm or as a greeting or farewell.
And there’s also “at peace, being in
a state of concord or tranquility.”
The world certainly doesn’t seem to
be at peace right now, does it? Countries are flexing muscles, saber rattling, testing
humanity-leveling weapons, verbally threatening, bullying, and committing
atrocious acts of aggression and oppression, against their own citizens. Others
are trying to carve out new countries from existing nations, annihilating all
who stand contrary to their version of national or religious utopia. In hordes, people are fleeing persecution and unlivable conditions. Lying, cheating, and stealing are commonplace, and being justified if the end result favors them
and their fans. Arrogance, ignorance, and self-righteousness reign in the people's hearts and seem to be ruling the day. Hate, anger and vitriolic
discourse fill the news, airwaves and social media. More and more, men and
women are doing what seems right in their own eyes.
Right now peace seems to be a
much-need commodity.
How do you achieve any kind of
personal peace when your world is swirling like a hurricane, gathering speed
and destructive energy?
Seriously. How do you make that
seemingly impossible goal happen?
Stand
in the eye. That’s the first thing you want to do, if you can. Get out of
the hurricane and stand in the eye, the calmest, most peaceful part of the
storm. Yes, right in the middle.
The eye of a hurricane, (or cyclone, depending upon what part of the
world you live in), is usually characterized by its light winds and clear
skies, even though it’s surrounded by a ring of towering, destructive
thunderstorm clouds, which is known as the “stadium effect”. If you didn’t know
those gorgeous, alluring white clouds could kill you, you might be tempted to
wander into them. So long peace and tranquility!
But what if you have to venture into those clouds or are already in them, with no
apparent means of escape? In that chaotic situation, how do you maintain an
internal sense of calm and tranquility in your heart, mind, and soul?
Short answer? You get to
know—intimately—and make a habit of following the originator and perfector of
peace. You learn by example and follow solid, wise advice.
And where do you find that advice,
that Originator? (I think you know where I’m going with this.)
You go directly to the source. The Prince
of Peace. Ask Him. He’s more than happy to divulge the secrets and help you remove the
hard, heavy yoke of turmoil and chaos that bind your heart, mind and soul.
Evidently God thought peace was a
pretty important issue we were going to have a lot of problem obtaining and
sustaining because He mentions it a lot in His word. Depending upon which Bible
translation you use, you’ll find it 375-415 times in the Bible. It’s mentioned
more than money, war and love. (Being mentioned more than love was a surprise
to me.)
Peace.
Illusive peace. He knew we desperately needed it, and He knew we’d constantly
battle ourselves and each other to have it; that we’d contest against others to
keep them from stealing it from us. We’d blame others for our own fault of
letting it go.
Peace.
It’s a precious commodity. And it’s worth pursuing.
One thing we need to keep in mind, though is: This isn’t heaven down
here. As I heard a wise man say during a sermon years ago: “This isn’t the
Garden of Eden. We lost that, and we have to stop trying to get it back.”
What this is down here is a place
for us to learn about God, draw near to Him, introduce others to Him, and run
the race for the ultimate prize of a bejeweled crown in a perfect Heaven. Down
here, we’re just getting a taste of that, but as the Apostle Paul said in his
letter to the Corinthian believers: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have
entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who
love Him.” Loose translation: We have no idea what Heaven is like, and we really can't even imagine it.
It may not be Heaven here, but it
can be heaven-like. We can open Heaven’s door, peer in a little, and start
experiencing some of its blessings and pleasures down here, but we’re never
going to get back to the Garden, as songwriter Joni Mitchell said we’ve got to
do in her famous song “Woodstock”. (And many of us who survived the 60s in the
United States know what glorious, “free” things happened there!)
It all comes down to what A.W. Tozer
said: “When
the eyes of the soul looking
out
meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on earth.”
Heaven has begun, not arrived. But
while we cannot have the same Garden Adam and Eve had, we can experience some
of the intimacy they shared with God.
I know a lot
of people live in fear of the future. They have no peace. They live in a
tumultuous, toxic home. Chaos reigns in their lives. They and their family are
without peace. To them, hell couldn’t be any worse than life right here on
Earth.
But you don’t have to let peace be
illusive to you.
Do you want to build a little more
heaven down here on Earth, for you and everyone around you? Then join me as we
embark on an exciting exploration of the different types of peace referenced in
Scripture, and learn how to possess, practice and pass on peace to others. Learn
what Jesus meant when He said, “Peace I leave; My peace I give to you; not as
the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it
be afraid.”
If you journal, (which I highly recommend), grab a new one and
join me every Monday as we do more treasure hunting through Scripture to pursue
the precious commodity of peace.
I promise it will challenge, inspire,
and transform all of us!
May
your week be full of blessings that you receive and give, your heart be
full of joy and thankfulness, and your days be filled with laughter! Build a
little heaven in your life right now, and watch your heavenly garden grow!
In
Christ’s love and peace,
Andrea
When the eyes of the soul looking out
meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on earth. ~ A. W. Tozer
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