Peace

"Who am I that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?  Who am I that the bright and morning star would choose to light the way of my ever wondering heart?  Who am I that the eyes that see no sin would look on me with love and watch me rise again?  Who am I that the voice that calm the seas would call out through the rain and calm the storm in me?  Not because of who I am, but because of what you’ve done, not because of what I’ve done, but because of who you are!"   Casting Crowns

The Importance of Peace

Ah peace.  It's what everyone scrambles to achieve really.   What can one say about this wonderful characteristic of God's Holy Spirit?  It is the ultimate state of mind, the state in which our parents prayed for when we each were born, and the state in which we pray for ourselves when we are on death's step.  But as we all know, peace can be very illusive.  Wealth, riches, time and effort have been spent in pursuit of it.  Histories have been formed and rewritten because of it.  And relationships have been destroyed due to the lack of it.  Peace!  It is what we all seek.  

Here's what we know about this particular characteristic of God's Holy Spirit.  For Christians, it means to have that settled state of salvation, that faith that we are counted in Heaven's numbers, a child of God, heir to the throne of Heaven.  According to the definition of peace it is;   "of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is."  Strong's Concordance

Paul wrote of peace as that important ingredient that facilitates spiritual growth needed for maturity.  He writes:

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.   Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."   Philippians 4:7-9

Paul plainly believed that it was because of God's peace within our heart that gives us the ability to have a thought process spoken of above.  This is a key point!  If we have any expectations of having a Godly composition, or state of mind I should say, we need that peace that passeth all understanding!  And, that can only come from God.  That state of mind will only be available through God's loving grace. It is why we see Paul praying for grace and peace for those he ministered to.  I would argue that this is the constant state of prayer spoken of in the New Testament.  

The Practical Application

 As I opened this topic, I quoted one of my favorite songs written and performed by the Christian music group Casting Crowns.  It's a wonderful piece music and points out that even in the midst of crisis, God has the ability to "calm" the storm within us.  The practical uses of Peace is the ability to fight anxious, doubting thoughts, to battle fear and worry.  This is why Paul called it "peace that passeth all understanding.  How can this be?  It's the workings of Christ within us.  He will shield us from these types of issues storming within our minds.  

Do you worry for tomorrow, for food on the table, for gas in the car?  Do you fret over what someone has said to you or something you said to them?  Do you get angry easily in traffic, impatient, maybe even rude as you defend your position on the highway?  Pray for peace.  Pray for it often.  This characteristic of His Holy Spirit will get you through the bumpy roadway of life.  

As Paul wrote in Colossians:  

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.  Colossians 3:15-17

But Bob, praying for peace will not put food on the table, or gas in the car!  Well, I get that, but what it will do is give you a calm state of mind that will allow you to focus on the issues at hand.  This in turn will give you an upper hand to clearly problem solve the issue.  This will allow you to balance the emotions and the intelligence of your mind that will facilitate a well thought out answer, or at least options.  And that my friends, is HUGE especially when crap hits the fan.

I pray for you the same as Paul prayed for the Colossians above.  May God richly fill your hearts with Peace to help weather the storms of life.  Here are a few verses to consider for your personal quiet time on this topic.

Luke 1:79                    John 14:27

Acts 10:36                   Romans 8:6

Romans 10:15             2Corinthians 13:11

Ephesians 6:13-17