![]() I search in memory’s cherished album of faces, slipping through the pages in search of anyone I can remember who experienced consistent peace. I picture the people gathered in my beloved congregations. ![]() So many of us share a longing for lasting peace, but we are unsure of the litmus test of salvation: abiding inner-peace that endures difficult people and disturbing circumstances. Untainted by care, untouched by the highest surges of sorrow, unstained by unforgiven sin, true peace is indefatigable and actually grows deeper with the challenges and trials of life.ĭo you have this kind of pervasive peace? Do I? True peace cannot be broken by life’s storms. When this quality of peace reigns in you, it cannot be debilitated by people or circumstances. That’s because true peace is wholeness–mental health, emotional stability, volitional integration and physical well-being. ![]() Note that this peace inventory includes the whole being–mind, emotions, will, body, relationships and circumstances. Since your relationships with people have so much to do with how you experience peace, do you let others rob you of inner peace? Are you at peace with others? Never? Seldom? Frequently? Consistently?Īnd what about circumstances? Do you allow circumstances to disrupt your ability to be at peace? Do you remain calm in the face of trouble? Never? Seldom? Frequently? Consistently?įinally, is your body at peace? Are you strained by stress, agitation, nervousness? Or are you free from tension, churning stomach, tight muscles, high blood pressure? Do you have a sense of calmness in your body? Never? Seldom? Frequently? Consistently? Do you feel at peace right now? Are you free from smouldering anger, nagging fears, frustration and envy? Never? Seldom? Frequently? Consistently?ĭo you have a sense of peace about your desires? Are you clear about God’s will for your life? Do you trust in God’s daily guidance? Are you certain about your goals? Are you free from conflict between what you want and what you sense God wants? Never? Seldom? Frequently? Consistently? How we feel affects how we live and how we relate to others. Here are four possible responses to the questions: never, seldom, frequently, consistently.ĭo you have peace of mind? Is your mind controlled by the Spirit of God? Or is your mind filled with a jumble of unforgiven memories, unresolved plans and frustrating disappointments? Right at this moment can you say that your mind is at peace? Never? Seldom? Frequently? Consistently?Īre your feelings at peace? You know that feelings do matter. Please try to respond as honestly as you can. I want to be very personal in asking you a few questions. We may be sure that we’re going to live forever, but we sometimes have a hard time getting through life with a daily sense of God’s peace. The difficulty with most of us is that there’s a great discrepancy between what we believe and how we feel and think. Auden to tell us that we live in the Age of Anxiety. Yet, many of us who claim that we are saved do not experience consistent peace. It’s interesting that in the Old Testament, the meanings for the words peace and salvation are nearly synonymous. If I were to ask, “Do you believe in God?” you would probably say, “Why yes, of course.” And if I were to ask, “Do you know God?” you might respond, “Yes, and I wish I knew God better.” But if I were to ask, “Do you have a deep, consistent, abiding sense of peace?” I suspect that you would reply, “No, I don’t.” Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:3-4). “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because He trusts in You.
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