Preparing to Walk in Peace

    Who among us doesn’t like shoes?

    It’s stereotypical for women to like shoes, but we do! We like to be prepared for any occasion with the right pair of shoes! Whenever I am about to travel or make a public presentation, my mind always generates this recurring dream in which I get to my destination and find I only have one shoe and I fall into panic mode... whether that means I’m shoe obsessed or simply unsure of my packing capabilities, I don’t know, all I know for sure is that “missing a shoe” and not being fully prepared is fearful to me!

    God, in His great wisdom and love for us, gives us all we need to be prepared – including shoes!

“…having shod your feet with the 

preparation of the gospel of peace…” 

(Ephesians 6:15 NKJV)

    I have found that this is not a part of the armour that is often talked about, so I want to learn more about this shoes that God has prepared for His people to wear!

    “Preparation” (Strong’s G2091) means foundation, firm footing, readiness. By this we know that God has provided something that we can wear confidently! These shoes have a sturdy, gripping base that won’t let us down! We can stand for as long as it takes (Ephesians 6:11, 13)! We can go through valleys (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), we can climb mountains (Psalm 18:31-33), we are ready!

    The “gospel” (Strong’s G2098) is ‘the good news of Jesus Christ.’ “Peace” (Strong’s G1515) means ‘one, quietness, peace of mind.’ It carries with it the idea of ‘to join, tie together in a whole, wholeness when all essential parts of joined together.’  God is essential. You are essential. You coming to God through Jesus Christ is essential (John 14:6, Romans 6:1-13)! Put them all together and you have peace, being joined with God! You maintain that peace by continuing to learn and grow and humbly obeying God’s commands (Psalm 37:37)!!

    The “gospel of peace” specifically in Ephesians 6:15 expresses ‘the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lots, of whatsoever lot that is.”

    When we live this way, in peace with God, standing on the firm footing of faith, others will notice the difference! And when they do, we are PREPARED and READY to help them to pursue the same peace, by telling them how we came to have it, by sharing with them the GOSPEL OF PEACE!

“…Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, 
and always be ready to give a defense 
to everyone who asks the reason for the hope 
that is in you, with meekness and fear.” 
(1 Peter 3:15 NKJV)   

    Shoes that remind us of all our blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14) and makes us ready and prepared for the occasion when someone asks about our hope? Well, those are without a doubt the best pair of shoes we could ever put on!!

    Are you wearing the shoes God has provided? Are you prepared to share the gospel of peace with others? Let’s remember to put these shoes on daily (along with the rest of God’s armour, Ephesians 6:10-18) as we continue to pursue peace each day!!

You can do it! So can I!!

Peace and Holiness

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, 

without which no one will see the Lord.” 

(Hebrews 12:14 NKJV)

    We need to make every effort to live in peace and to be peaceable (Romans 12:18), BUT it should never come at the expense of our holiness; without holiness we will not see God.

• We need to be kind without becoming soft toward sin.
• We need to be loving without disregarding or watering down God’s truth.
• We need to be just without lacking compassion.

    Jesus exemplified all these qualities for us. He maintained His holiness while teaching and admonishing people. He loved people so much that He couldn’t bear to let them remain unknowledgeable about God and His goodness. He pointed people toward the One source from which they could obtain true peace. He, with love, corrected them, guided them, and taught them.

    “Speaking the truth in love” will go a long way in helping others know God and it will help us to grow up in Jesus (Ephesians 4:15)! There are so many manmade doctrines and “trickeries of men”, leading unknowledgeable people astray – they seek peace but cannot find it in ever changing/adapting doctrines – but with God there is TRUE PEACE, a constant source of knowledge that has never and will never change, and a love that grows greater the more we seek Him!

    Please take time this week to read and consider these verses: Ezekiel 3:18-21, James 5:19-20, and Galatians 6:1-2

    And now let's include the verse that follows in Hebrews 12:

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness,
without which no one will see the Lord:
looking carefully lest anyone fall short
of the grace of God, lest any root of
bitterness springing up cause trouble,
and by this many become defiled."
(Hebrews 12:14-15 NKJV)

    “Defiled” is the opposite of “holy.” We don’t want “defiled” to describe us or others. Defiled would mean that one has fallen short of God’s grace, it was not sought for and therefore not obtained. When this happens, “roots of bitterness” can spring up and cause serious trouble.

What is a “root of bitterness”?  This term is mentioned in Deuteronomy 29:18-19, when God commanded the Israelites to get rid of their foreign idols. I think it is worthwhile to put those verses in front of us.

“ …and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold); so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.” (Deuteronomy 29:17-19 NKJV)

    A root of bitterness can crop up when one becomes resentful of being told what to do, what they have to change about themselves, and/or what they have to give up.

    Have you experienced a root of bitterness yourself? I have! Usually, these roots first test the soil of our hearts when we are young and become resentful of our parents telling us “no” all the time.  And when they aren’t saying no, they’re telling us to “clean your room, take out the garbage, and lose your attitude”! We grow bitter and angry and plot and plan parental avoidance methods, so as to bypass hearing their endless rules.  It makes life miserable for everyone involved.

    When this same resistance transfers to God and His commands, we not only continue to make life harder for ourselves, but we also are endangering our souls. We, like the mistaken Israelites, may say in our heart, ‘I don’t have to give that up, I can still have peace' or 'I don’t need to do EVERYTHING God says; His words are more suggestions for good behaviour than actual rules or guidelines! I’m fine, I can just do what suits me! I’m a good person, God loves me! It’s all good!'

    We cannot follow the dictates of our own heart and claim peace for ourselves. We cannot disregard God and think we will be counted among the righteous.

“”Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD, 

“Who take counsel, but not of Me, and 

who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, 

that they may add sin to sin.”” 

(Isaiah 30:1 NKJV) 

    True peace comes only from God. His ways are constant – they do not become obsolete or outdated – they are consistent in their benefit and their wisdom! God tells us that if we want to have a good life, a peaceable life, we need to depart from evil and do good, we need to seek peace and chase after it diligently, tirelessly pursue it (Psalm 34:11-15, 1 Peter 3:10-12)! We must do all that is necessary on our part to always come back to a place of peace with God first, and then live at peace with others around us (Romans 12:18).

    We know the glories of God, His goodness, His grace! Let’s never compromise our love and appreciation for Him by calling wrong, right (or ‘okay’), for the sake of peace. God calls us to be holy – that is top priority. Peace comes through speaking the truth in love.

Are you ready to do that? Are you willing to stand against the wiles of the devil and speak God’s truth without compromise? Are you ready to deny self, take up the cross and follow Jesus in obedience to all God has commanded (Matthew 16:24-26)? These are essential components in our pursuit of peace! God’s ways are a benefit; His commands overflow with wisdom! Turn away from your own notions of what you think is good and let God’s words guide you towards true peace!

You can do it! So can I!!

Understanding Peace So We Can Pursue It

    I would like to share with you something that I read while studying and researching the word ‘peace’ (Hebrew: ‘shalom’, Greek: ‘eirene’). 

    “Shalom really means everything that makes for a man’s highest good, all that makes life life indeed. In English peace has come to have something of a negative meaning. It is apt to mean the absence of war and the absence of trouble. For instance, if in a campaign hostilities actually came to an end and there was no more fighting we would be likely to say that there was peace; but quite certainly the Hebrew would not call a situation where there was a blasted earth, and where people still regarded each other with a kind of terrified suspicion, peace. …The greeting salaam does not simply express the negative wish that a man’s life may be free from trouble; it expresses the positive hope and prayer that he may enjoy all good gifts and blessings from the hand of God. In thinking of the meaning of peace, both in the Old and New Testament, it is essential to bear in mind the positive meaning of the word.” (William Barclay, Flesh and Spirit, 1962)

    Can you understand why love comes before peace in most every list of qualities a Christian is to have?

    We need to have a heart that learns to truly love – undefeatable goodwill and benevolence that seeks only good for the other – in order to pursue peace which is a sincere wish that the other person will blessed with ‘everything that make’s for man’s highest good.’

    All too often we are content with a peace that is only visible. We think, ‘there are no negative interactions, no outward upset, so we are at peace, right?’ Yet our hearts are disappointed, discouraged, angry, frustrated, irritated, or fuming. Our hearts are so darkened that the very idea of hoping that our fellow man has everything that makes for their highest good is something we may sneer and scoff at. God wants us to pursue true peace, and it begins in the heart.

    Consider your heart this week. Take note of any upset that you keep bottled up under the guise of peace. Is your heart truly at peace with your family, friends, brethren, and neighbours? Can you sincerely hope for them everything that makes for their highest good?

You can! So can I!!

Pursuing Peace: Know God, Know Peace

    Last week we looked at the passage in James 1 that stated that we need to be careful to ask in faith and without doubting (double-mindedness). We were instructed to ask for wisdom, of which God will give freely, even generously, and He will not scold you for asking for it, even if you ask for it every day!

    Wisdom is found in doing/obeying God’s commands (see Deuteronomy 4:5-6), and the wisdom God gives, that which is from above, is first pure, then PEACEABLE, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy (James 3:17).

    When we study and humbly obey ALL of God’s commands and instructions, letting HIS word create the guidelines we live by, not adding to it or taking away from it, but studying and applying His pure, unsullied word, we will find that we can be at peace with God, and live peaceably with others – KNOWING GOD allows us to KNOW PEACE.

    James 3:14-16 to see how earthly wisdom (No God) results in confusion and every evil thing (No peace).

    The peaceable wisdom that come from God, through His word, teaches us gentleness, as well as reasonableness and consideration for others. It helps us to remember God’s great mercy, so we in turn show mercy to others; we behave as a child of God. God’s wisdom helps us to see souls – the one thing we ALL have in common – teaching others through both our spoken words and unspoken words (consistent example, we practice what we “preach”).

    Can you see why James encourages us to ask God for wisdom? How faithfully requesting it can help us in our pursuit of peace?     

    Faithfully pursuing peace, living in it through studying and applying God’s commands/instructions, will grant us a harvest of righteousness – being found right in the sight of God (James 3:18)!

    What a noble thing to work toward, a bounty to harvest!

    Are you desiring to KNOW PEACE? Begin with truly KNOWING GOD. Let the seed settle into your heart (Luke 8:11-15) by reading His word, let it take root as you humbly obey His commands, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), and look forward to a flourishing harvest of righteousness!

You can do it! So can I!!  

  

Pursuing Peace

    Peace, perfect peace.

    It is more than just a quiet moment after a chaotic day. It is a quiet mind and a calm heart even amidst the chaos.

    Is it attainable? YES!

    If the Lord wills, over the next few weeks we will look to gain a better understanding of peace so that we can truly “seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14) as God commands. We will look at all things that pertain to it: how to attain it, how to maintain it, and how to be at peace with God, your brethren, and mankind.

    Are you ready to pursue peace? Me too!!

    When we are commanded to pursue peace in both 2 Timothy 2:22 and 1 Peter 3:11, we are being told to pursue 'being at one again.'

    Consider for a moment James 1:5-8. James warns against being double-minded (vv.6-8). The term 'double-minded' holds the idea of being anxious, that stress-inducing battle between rational and irrational thought. It is a mind that is not at peace.

    God wants us to have peace. He instructs us to "be anxious for nothing" in Philippians 4:6, and He does not leave it at that, He tells us exactly what needs to be done to overcome anxiety and "be at one again" in our mind and heart - "in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) 

    We go through many struggles and hardships in our lives, but through it all God is more than willing to supply His abundant peace, all He is asks of us is to give over our worries and anxieties, lay them down at His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and ask Him for His help. 

Side note: God loves us SO much that He also provides us with a 'maintenance plan' - a help to abide in peace - He provides us with a list - a whole list - of good and proper things to think on (see Philippians 4:8), so that we can train our minds to stop dwelling on frets and worries by replacing our negative thoughts with a positive one from the list. When we purpose to focus on what God has told us to focus on it changes our perspective and heals our minds. It takes time. I've been there, I've done it - it's difficult at times, but it works!!  God's way IS ALWAYS the BEST WAY!! It is worth every effort to try!! 

Are you ready to pursue peace? Are you willing to give your worries to God in exchange for His perfect peace? God is ready, willing, and able to provide!

You can do it! So can I!!