The
Power of Peace
“…and the
peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
We live in a
world where each of us have tremendous needs.
To
say that we don’t have needs is to deny a core area of each of our lives. As you look at your own life and the lives of
those around you, you will find certain needs that are common to all of us. Companionship,
Achievement, Success, Love, Security, Acceptance, Intimacy, Healing from Emotional
Hurts, and yes, Inner peace. It doesn’t
matter what century or millennium you are talking about, man has always had
these challenges.
In his book,
Our Unmet Needs, Charles Stanley
mentions this has always been the case and will always be the case:
He
says, “The needs that we face are not only those we find on the external
surface of life: economic, social, informational, and political. They
are not limited to a prosperity that is defined in economic terms, a
satisfaction that is marked by material or physical comfort, or a peace that is
externally manifested between individuals, tribes and nations. The needs that
drive, fuel, and shape all of our external needs are the emotional and
spiritual needs that cause us to experience a lack of inner peace with God,
others, and ourselves. He goes on to say, “Name just about any problem that
plagues our world today and I will point you toward an underlying emotional or
spiritual need in the heart of man. Drug abuse.
Child abuse. Spouse abuse. Poverty.
War. Violence. Crime. Every
one of these areas grows out of emotional and spiritual needs that are
manifested in the heart of one man, one woman, somewhere on planet earth. The ripple effect begins with an unmet need
in the heart of one person.”
In Philippians 4,
Paul shares that God generally meets my needs by giving me peace even when life
doesn’t go as planned. Phil. 4:6,7,9
says, “Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus…” We often define peace as
the absence of problems or trials. We
think, “My life will be peaceful when…”
1) …the kids are out of the house
2) …my job slows down 3)…when difficulties cease. However, this is not the kind of peace God
offers. He offers an internal peace
regardless of the circumstances. We find
it through times of prayer and trust.
Catherine
Marshall, wife of former Senate Chaplain, Peter Marshall, used to tell the
story of a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best
picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king
looked at all the pictures. But there
were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them. The two pictures were beautiful.
The
first picture was of a calm lake.
The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around
it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy
white clouds.
The
other picture had mountains too. But these
were rugged and bare. Above was an angry
sky from which the rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a
foaming waterfall. It didn’t look
peaceful at all. But when the king
looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in
the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There in the midst of the rush of angry water
sat the mother bird on her nest…in perfect peace. She was so tranquil. The king chose the second picture. He said, “Because peace does not mean to be
in a place where there is no noise, trouble, and hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those
things and still be calm in your heart.
That is the real meaning of peace.” I think Paul would agree with that
definition.
That is the
idea that Jesus spoke to His disciples at His final commence-ment address
before He was going to the cross. He could
have made all kinds of promises. You’ve
got it made. You’re not going to go
through anything. You’re going to be on
the road to easy street. He didn’t
promise those things because He knew that wasn’t true. But he did say something that would assure
them in the challenges that He knew would come.
In the midst of all these things, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Paul
would say, “Amen to that.” In
Philippians 4:6, 7, he writes, “Be careful (full of cares) or anxious about nothing
but in everything by prayer…”There is a simple
six word formula that will assure you peace.
Worry about nothing…Pray about everything. When trust comes in the front door…worry
will go out the back. And God’s peace
fills our hearts even in the midst of trials.
Lynn Anderson used to sing, “I beg your pardon…I never promised you a
rose garden.” God didn’t either. But He does give us peace even when the
waters rage around us.
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1)
What storm
or trial are you facing?
2)
How does God
offer us peace in the midst of those times?
Consider reading the Word today:
Copyright
2014- Terry Risser
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