Peace in the Midst of the Storm

I think that one of my biggest struggles with finding peace is when I see it as a dichotomy between troubled circumstances on one side and peace on the other.  If complete external security is what we need in order to have internal calm, then the peace of Christ isn't worth much.  I often think of a story that I read many years ago about a painter who was competing with many other great artists to create a work that conveyed true peace.  The winning work of art would be chosen by the king.  The other artists created beautiful pastoral scenes, still waters, gorgeous sunsets.  However, this particular man's artwork was unlike any of the rest.  He drew a turbulent waterfall in the midst of stormy woods.  The wind and rain in the scene could almost give the observer a chill.  However in the focal point of the painting, there was a picture of true peace:  A mother bird sat on her nest, covering her young with her wings.  They were completely safe, even in the midst of a torrential storm.  

I think that this is more the image that we should have in mind as we consider the peace of God.  He gives us peace despite our circumstances, and in the midst of them.  He protected His disciples in the midst of another storm where they thought that their boat would capsize (Matt.8).  Jesus' words to the waves were "peace, be still."  Though He may not change our circumstances every time, Christ remains fully trustworthy, and we may be at peace knowing that we are protected under His wings (Ps. 91:4)

Peace With Others

Once we have embraced Christ as our true peace with God, we are in a position to really be at peace with others.  The Bible tells us that as far as it depends on us, we are to live at peace with all.  Granted, "it takes two to tango", and there are some people who will refuse to live in peace.  There are some who will find the very Gospel that we proclaim to be offensive and will therefore hate us as a result.  While we must do our best to live in peace and love, we are not responsible for people's responses toward us.  

May I also say that this is, by no means, meant to be a treatise on how to live at peace with others!  Whole books have been written about that!  This post will merely highlight one great way to pursue peace with others: love.

True love is not just about having good vibes for someone or an attraction to them.  It's not about being generically "nice" to people.  1 Corinthians 13 describes what love is and isn't.  If we could truly put this definition into practice with those around us, we would be going a long way towards living at peace with others.  

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
 

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Depending on God

When we trust God to provide, we are also submitting to His choice of what’s important.  It’s like trusting our parents with our money.  When we have to ask them for money, we also are placing ourselves under their judgment of what is important.  If we have a separate bank account, we don’t have to run our purchases by them, because it’s our money to do with it what we will.  They don’t have to give their blessing or even their approval.

I think that the same thing can be said of our dependence on God.  When we can say “I earned this,” we feel that we have the right to tell God, you can’t stop me from buying this house/this car/this TV/this coffee.  It’s our money and we can spend it how we like.  From a missionary perspective, it is very clear how everything I have is “from God’s hand,” and in light of that, I feel like I have a real responsibility before God and before my supporters to spend it wisely.  I truly believe that is one of the roadblocks to people who are considering missions.  I can even say that personally.  I have thought before that it would just be really nice to have a job where I could get a paycheck for the work that I do, then tithe and feel like I have done all that I should in regards to my finances … without worrying about whether it or not I it is legitimate to spend the remaining money on a new shirt.  Or to have to pray that God would provide me with money for a plane ticket to visit my friends.  Those are the requests that you feel a little foolish about when you take them to God.  Maybe this is shallow, but I don’t have the resources to bypass the God component. 

It’s like asking your parents if they can buy you a pair of earrings.  You don’t really need them… but if you had the money you would just buy them for yourself… but you don’t have the money and you kind of want them.  That being said, I have noticed that it is my good parents’ pleasure to provide for me not only what I most need, but also what I want.  They are wise, but they are also generous.  So, no, they wouldn’t give me something that would jeopardize me, but they are willing to give me things that seems silly, just because I asked.

As I wrestle through this personally, I wonder what you think of our dependence on God.  Is it something that you think about often?  Do you see God as your provider or yourself?  Or your employer?  Food for thought.  J  

Remember

The first step towards thankfulness is to remember what God has done.  Too often, the busyness of life, and our own weak memories keep us from reflecting on all of the good things that God has given to us and all of the ways that He has worked in our lives.  Indeed, we often have an "easier" time remembering hurts done to us than remembering the blessings that God has given us, directly, or through other people.

The holiday season, from roughly Thanksgiving through New Years tends to be one of the busiest and most flustered times of the year for so many.  Hence, it is easy to forget God's graces even from one day to the next!  Yet, if we are intentional, this same time can provide unique opportunities for us to remember God's goodness.  Thanksgiving is a day set aside for thanking God for the sweet gifts that He constantly gives us.  Advent and Christmas are times of wonder as we reflect on the incredible mystery of God made man to redeem us.  Meditating on this unfathomable gift could not help but result in praise and thanksgiving to God.  And the turn of the year is a perfect time to reflect on God's faithfulness over the past 365 days, and to intentionally remember all that He has done.

So in this time of busyness, make time to stop and consider all that God has done for you.  May we cultivate hearts of thankfulness to the One who is infinitely worthy of thanks!