THIS WEEK -PEACE
Peace – Freedom from, or cessation of, war or hostility; the state of nation or community in which It is not at war with another. Freedom from disturbance or perturbation, especially as a condition of an individual; quiet, tranquility.
(Oxford Dictionary)
The word peace has a variety of implications. We all know that peace is an absence of war or conflict, but it is much more. Peace relives us of anxiety, worry and even physical illnesses. A person who lives with a sense of inner peace can face the toughest of times. That inner peace acts as a shield to the arrows of harm and difficulty that are directed their way. The scripture puts it this way-” Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) When we surrender ourselves to the care of Jesus, we discover a peace that is beyond this world.
The peace of Christ will lead to the solution of those times of conflict and strife that we face. We live in times of peril and strife, and I believe that a great deal of it comes from our refusal to call on the one who gives real peace. Jesus promised to leave his peace with us, and that peace would not be as the world’s peace but would cross new frontiers. The peace of Jesus is the key that opens the door to peace in the world. We must open that door.
We open the floodgate of peace by surrendering our selfish desires to an unselfish God who loved us even when we did not love him. His peace can give us what the world cannot give:
- Peace of mind
- Peace of heart
- Peace that destroys conflict
- Peace that is everlasting
- Peace that is personal and corporate
The quotes ad scripture in this musing are meant to lead us in that direction. Read them and meditate on them and let God give you peace.
You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level. ~~~Eckhart Tolle
We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. ~~~Dalai Lama
There are no makers of peace because the making of peace is at least as costly as the making of war. ~~~Daniel Berrigan
Mankind must remember that peace is not God’s gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other. ~~~Elie Wiesel
Peace is a day-to-day problem, the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an ‘is,’ it is a ‘becoming.’ ~~~Haile Selassie
We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom. ~~~Dwight D. Eisenhower
We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.~~~Thomas Merton
Peace is not the product of a victory or a command. It has no finishing line, no final deadline, no fixed definition of achievement. Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many decisions. ~~~Oscar Hammerstein II
You may call for peace as loudly as you wish, but where there is no brotherhood there can in the end be no peace. ~~~Max Lerner
Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances. ~~~ Mahatma Gandhi
Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be. ~~~Wayne W. Dyer
Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.~~~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:27
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace— in peace because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3
do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10
I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety. Psalm 4:8
Let us therefore no longer pass judgement on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of another. Romans 14:13
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:17-18
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Lord, I seek peace today. First give me peace in my heart and soul so that I may be able to face the trials of life. My ability to face the trials of life will make me a peacemaker to those who are in conflict. Let the peace that you put in my heart so shine to the rest of the world that they can see that you are real and can make a difference. Amen
A Pastor's Thoughts 