The Gift of Peace...

April 8, 2009

“You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

The word “Peace” is not something we just sing about at Christmas. It is an everyday struggle for most people. In this world the thought of having peace can seem distant. Also, it sounds like a gift. So we have to wait for peace to come down in a big pretty package and hit us over the head right? Not so fast.

On Earth we tend to get upset about things a LOT. Someone cuts you off in traffic, you’re upset. Someone is rude to you in a store, you’re upset. Best friend lies to you, you’re upset. Husband comes home too late, you’re upset.

When some of us get upset we make sure everyone knows it. Some of us hold it in go home and take it out on everyone else. All depends on who you are. Some of us don’t waste much time showing how upset we are while others stew in it for a while.

Then we tell ourselves it is natural. We got mad, who cares? Everyone gets mad. You look to your friend and you say, “I mean I just can’t believe that guy. Who does he think he is? Wouldn’t that have made you furious?”. Your friend says “Yes” only half listening to you because she is tired of hearing you complain and you respond, “I know it drives me crazy. I can’t believe anyone could act like that. Then your friend says “Me either” and really she is thinking that you do the same thing you are complaining about all the time.

Okay, to understand the word “peace” I am going to have to take you back to the battleground I have mentioned in previous notes. There is a battle of spiritual warfare going on over you. As a Christ follower, the Holy Spirit lives within you. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17.

He is your teacher. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26.
He is your guide. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13.

That is blessed assurance. We are not alone here on this place that can become full of evil; however, even with that assurance don’t forget one key point: YOU here on Earth have a very definite enemy. When you are at war, you cannot only focus on who you are fighting for, you have to know who you are fighting against.

Let me give you a glimpse of what your enemy looks like from the way I see him. Close your eyes and imagine every horrible story you ever watched on the news, every murder you read about, every child kidnapped, harmed, and killed, every scary movie you ever watched, that creepy feeling you get walking alone at night, watching murderers in courtrooms on television with no remorse for their actions or their victims families, husbands who kill pregnant wives and their children, mothers that kill their children, every tragedy, every horrible circumstance, every pain and affliction on Earth. He has no conscience, he has no ability to feel compassion or love. Anything good is physical pain to him. He knows only one thing to do because of what he is full of and that is to try to destroy all that is good and created by God. Don’t even ask why because he is incapable of reason. He does it because he is evil and those actions are evil in and of themselves.

Your enemy is Satan and his desire is to fill you full of sin, horrible emotions, and plague you with self-doubt. He wants you to stay upset permanently. He wants everything in your life that is the very opposite of peace.

The Holy Spirit wants what is good for you and wants you to carry out God’s will and plan for your life. He does not want to harm you. He will not bring upon you those feelings of envy, jealousy, anger, impatience, greed, and hopelessness. He is directly and in every possible way contrary to the desires of Satan. “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.” Galatians 5:17.

Satan will do everything in his power to prey on your “sinful nature”. He will use your every weakness against you. If you happen to be a person who is weak at holding their temper and gets upset a lot, guess what? He knows it. Every time you complain out loud you are giving him a strategy to defeat you.

You need to stay in step with what the Holy Spirit guides you to do in order to defeat Satan. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25.

To stand strong against Satan, one of the pieces of God’s armor you should have on is peace. Peace is received within you by your faith. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” Romans 5:1-2. You have been justified (made right or found “not guilty”), not because of anything you did but because of your faith in the grace of God. His grace saved you – He sent His son to die for your sins.

Even though you are saved by God’s grace, your faith will grow from your obedience which in turn will give you peace. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11. Discipline gives you peace. Before you argue with that ask yourself if you have more peace with a well disciplined child than you do a wild child? Do you have more peace when you have organization or order? “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9. Put God’s word into practice in your life.

And remember it depends on your action and not your reaction. Don’t let others dictate your peace. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, leave at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18. Concentrate on the “as far as it depends on you” part of it (see the note “When it is all about “you”…).

In the next note, I will continue to explain how to have peace in your life. But first you have to understand that the very goal you have in mind, “peace” will come under attack by the enemy. As you search for it and seek it, you will need to recognize these attacks. How you get it comes through faith and obedience. Here is the good news – you are created in God’s image, so you are much stronger than your enemy, and you were designed to win.

You will still have trouble in this world, but keep your eye on the prize. Expect battle and prepare for it. As people often say, nothing worth having comes easy. Expect those sudden twist and turns and be ready for them.

“The safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” C.S. Lewis.