Peace Be To The Brethren

Peace Be To The Brethren

My peace and joy remain intact during the most stressful situations, in the face of the angriest confrontations. To be clear, I will hasten to add that my emotions are not absent. This joy and peace is not a virtue, as it is a gift that has been given to me. There are many benefits that come from having this joy and peace as an anchor to my soul. It is a great aid to health; not only physical health, but also mental and spiritual health. It strengthens the immune system, improves digestion, and helps me get a good night’s sleep. I am more able to have good relationships, which is the number one factor in good health.

I have a secret. It is like having a deep rudder in an angry sea. It is like having a foundation set on solid bedrock. It is not a secret because I don’t want anyone to know, but because people don’t want to hear it. I would be glad to tell you, but do you want to hear it? It works, but are you ready to believe it? I would say it is because I am a Christian, but there are Christians who do not know this secret. There are some parts of this secret that can be apprehended by those who are not saved, but not all of it.

So, faith is part of the secret. It is not the faith itself, but that upon which my faith is based. For example, I could have faith in science, but the doctrines of science keep changing. As we learn of new discoveries, the old ones are discarded or altered. I could have faith in government, but that would fail me as well. There are corruptions in government, and only time will tell if I receive justice. My faith is in the One True God of the Holy Bible. He does not change. He does not lie. He does not fail us.

So, the object of my faith is unshakable, but what if my faith, itself, is weak or falters? I have faith in a Big God, but what if my faith is not big? “I believe; help Thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). “Jesus said unto them … verily I say unto you If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, ‘Remove hence to yonder place;’ and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:20). I call out to God, in my weakness. It does not need to be a long, drawn out, King James prayer, but I acknowledge Him in all my ways (Proverbs 3:5-6). If I have any faith at all, I can call out to God for help, and He will help my faith, so my faith will not fail. Then I can choose to walk in the Spirit so I can have the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

But, what if I am so distracted, or so crushed, or so overwhelmed, that even that initial beckoning is delayed or absent. Worship is the key to establishing a steadfast link of faith, so that it is readily available. Meditate regularly on the glory of God. Job 37:14 “Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.” Isaiah 26:3-4 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.” Father in Heaven, I pray that you will reveal the brilliance of Your Glory to me. Please show me the perfection of your Power. There is nothing lacking in Your Strength … flawless … complete … masterful … eternal. Heal the dimness of my vision, so I can behold the supreme virtue of your Wisdom. Your Regal Judgement is altogether True. The Throne of Your Royal Majesty is the One to whom my allegiance is due. Your Crown is on high, sovereign above every power and nobility. My Lord Jehovah, you are the foundation of all my trust, faith, and hope, for You alone are worthy. Out of the perfection of Your Power and Wisdom, flows your Holiness, the purity of Your Love, and Thy Holy Word.

It is good to worship God, for many reasons. One of these reasons, is that it helps us to have more peace, thus less stress, and better relationships. Building your relationship with God improves your relationships with others. Having a closer walk with God helps build your faith so you can trust Him more, thus empowering peace in your heart.

The number one factor in stress reduction is salvation. What a huge amount of distress is caused when we don’t know what is going to happen when we die. Or, if we know we are going to hell. You can get this settled. It is not something to rush into, but it is also not something to put off. This life is your time and place to choose. The main reason for your time on this Earth, is for you to weigh this decision. The gravity, of this choice, is greater than the totality of everything else in your life. If you don’t think you are ready to make this decision, then I challenge you to pray this prayer, “God, if You are real, then reveal Yourself to me.” I dare you. What could it hurt? Think about it, if He is real, do you sincerely want to remain separated from the blessings He could give you?

Beyond faith, there are additional principles that help in gaining a sense of peace.

It is tempting to avoid stating the obvious fact that good relationships will reduce stress.

Some of the most powerful approaches to support inner peace and good accord with others are forgiveness, gratitude, and honour. I explain this more in a separate article.

Another valuable practise is to pray for peace. There is good stress, like a challenge, and there is bad stress, like worry or distress. The only time God wants His children to have bad stress, is when they are living in rebellion to Him. This stress is designed to drive you to learn the truths that will set you free from the turmoil. When we pray for things that are within the will of God, then He will provide them. Pray for peace, because that is what He wants to give. Are you ready for the blessings that come from living your life in accord with The Designer’s plan? There are some gifts God gives us, only when we ask.

Pray for your family and friends. Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Read the Bible. Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law

Scripture meditation is an excellent way to seek, and find, peace. Psalm 23 is my favourite, for this purpose.

Psalm 23 A Psalm of David.
1 The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Sometimes I notice considerable similarities between our gripes about this life and the fussing of a two year old child. I have some experience with those. Many times, while we are getting him ready to do something he likes to do, he is fussing, because he is not doing it yet. We, as parents, can see what lies ahead, so we can see the foolishness of his fussing. It doesn’t seem to help when we try to tell him about the fun thing we are preparing him to do. When we, as God’s children, consider the suffering in this life, we want paradise right now. Who knows best; the Papa, or the baby?

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Numbers 6:24-26
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Ephesians 6:23 Peace [be] to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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