Peace. Is is achievable? I'm not talking about world peace, but about inner peace that an individual can experience.
Can we experience peace every day of our lives? I think so, although there are going to be days of inner turmoil, testings and trials. Psalm 119:165 says "Great peace have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them". Another translation says it this way: "There is lasting peace for those who love your teachings. Nothing can make those people stumble." (God's Word translation).
In another post we can examine the different words for peace in the Bible. For now, we can establish the premise that it's not just the absence of war but also a well-being and calm that we can enjoy even when the storms are raging all around us. Let's examine some ways in which we can have peace:
1. By right thinking. Romans 8:6 says that "To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace". That doesn't mean that we don't take care of our physical bodies or look after ourselves and our families, but it means that we also take care to feed our spirits by looking after the things of God and by reading and concentrating on His word. We acknowledge God above all and each day present ourselves to him (Romans 12:1). We seek him early in the morning and recognize that his mercies are new each day (Lamentations 3). We are in the flesh but we don't live after it. This is not a works program but an acknowledgment of what Christ has done in our lives.
2. By responding in peace. When Jesus healed the woman in Mark 5:34, he said "Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole of your plague." "Go in peace" is a benediction and a commandment. When we go in peace, we know that we have been saved and delivered and we have an inner strength that fills us with peace.
3. By submitting to His peace. Colossians 3:15 says "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful". When we let God's peace be our umpire, He makes the calls and we live in the results of His peace. Our thankfulness becomes a joy and we know that we are called to His holy church, His body. Divisions diminish and we relax in His joy.
So when the problems come or when we have the really great days and for every time in between, we can live in God's peace. It is truly the peace that passes understanding that Philippians 4:6-7 talks about.
The message transaltion says this: "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
And so instead of "What peace?" I can truly exclaim "What peace!".