What Kind Of Peace Do We Want?
Good Moring Friends,
God has showered us with an amazing abundance of blessings. We discover in the blessings that we were born not by mere coincidence but as part of God’s created purpose so we might share in fellowship and bring glory and honor to Jesus by sharing His generous grace.
Still we ask…What Kind Of Peace Do We Want?
Scripture: We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you.
Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.
2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (NRSV)
Jesus said, “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. . . . Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.”
John 14:27 (TEV)
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NRSV)
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.
Galatians 5:13 (NRSV)
Message: There are so many different views on free will that it is confusing to understand how God’s control and our own free will interact. It is as if we are in a bubble in the wind limited by our nature and external realities with a sense of control but still a very important choice in a larger environment in which we appear to have very little causation. At some level though we believe that one butterfly’s wing flap in just the right direction can start a hurricane or one small domino falling and hitting a slightly larger domino, progressing in like kind hitting even larger dominos can turn into a cascade the topples a building. The form of our chosen action however does not have to be destructive. It starts, I believe, when we choose to activate our mustard seed of faith in God, with actions that despite our nature to sin glorifies God. Sin, of course, limits our effectiveness but by God’s grace we still secure our eternal life in heaven. Transformation is in God’s hands. Still sometimes we are blessed to be God’s hand in our bubble of existence and somehow that love breaks forth into the larger reality. So today we explore this topic by asking a question about what kind of peace we want and by extension, “What kind of peace is God’s peace?” And the answer…at least part of it… is found in the Biblical idea that in accepting Christ’s offer we can become conformed to the image of Jesus and find a peace that glorifies God, making the choice more relevant and powerful and transformative than our minds can grasp. But there is, of course, a dangerous expectation of reciprocity we have that seems to motivate us at every turn. It is a battle between God’s will and our own self-will…it is a battle between our sleeping dreams, over which we have no control, and a vision of a dream for humanity in which we have a choice to join. The whole milieu affects our minds, our hearts and how we invest our time and money. And even if we recognize that we live in a self-indulgent culture, it is not enough. For everything we buy…even our relationships are supposed to give us something greater in return. My, my, my, what a mess we are when we are not focused on Christ’s dream for us. For when we share Christ’s dream it sets us free from this measure for measure existence. Friends, we have been given the Bible… we have been given the Spirit…we have been given salvation… that has changed and can continue to change the world. The Word does not come back void. The world tells us that there is a fixed sequence of events that determine our future. But with Jesus counseling us with His peace I have to believe that we are not set on an unalterable course. So let’s suppose this morning that the mechanism of chance and our choosing unfolds a purpose and a call that can bring peace. Regardless of exactly how this works, is my hope for us all to lay claim to the truth and majesty of God’s love for us. We need to understand that God chooses us…. calls us and justifies and glorifies us by being in us. Here what we do is who we are and by the power of the Spirit the goal does not terminate with us. The glory of the preeminence of Christ breaking forth in and through us is the plan of our salvation. In that we can end the worry. In that we can pray with an attitude of gratitude…in that we can hopefully allow God’s peace to take root in our minds and souls. Friends, we are to be not just hearers of the Word but doers as well.
Pray that we realize that God values us much more than we give Him the credit. Pray that we put God first and in that act of free will demonstrate that we are free indeed. Pray we all learn to give thankfully, to give eagerly, and to give generously to show that we indeed do serve Him…to show there is nothing that separates us from the deeper riches of God. Pray that the grace of God flow through each of us as we mature so that the needs of others might be met in His name. Pray that we accept the cost. Pray that we endure the challenge. Pray that we rejoice in the real value of love. Pray we choose to allow God to calm our troubled minds with His peace. Pray we choose God’s peace and our designed purpose to glorify God and enjoy God forever.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 