Wednesday, April, 23, 2008

Unconditional Love Series

 

John 21:19 “On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

 

A Life of Peace

 

Peace is not such an easy commodity to find.  Our lives are hurried and crowded with many people and responsibilities.   If peace is what we seek, it can be found.  Peace does not just fall on us but I believe we must plan for it by laying the right foundation in our lives.  

 

We must begin by understanding how the Bible defines peace.  The Bible defines peace on many levels, essentially it is the end of hostilities.   In the unfolding of the document of our faith it can be peace from the hostilities of battle,  peace from the hostilities in our domestic life, peace from the hostilities in our inner life, and peace from the hostilities of an alienated relationship.   The Bible states that we can find peace in our hearts regardless of our circumstances.  We can live in that wondrous state of tranquility and serenity. 

 

I wanted to paint a small painting that I thought would illustrate a peaceful life.   The layering of a painting is not that dissimilar to the laying of a foundation of a life.   During the first session I painted the sky, the sea, the grass, and lastly the road was painted in place  Several days later, after the oil dried, I reworked the sky and sea.   The next session I painted the tree trunks and added value to the grass.  Then I spent three sessions painting the leaves and the finishing touches.  Finally, my ideal of a peaceful place was finished on canvas. 

 

The building of a peaceful life is a layering of one experience after another.  We build a peaceful life through time invested in scripture, study, prayer, and service, Christian community, and worship.    The whole foundation of peace is built in a solid relationship with God.  The hues of his presence colors the whole canvas of our experience.  We find peace in facing trial and know God’s guiding spirit has breathed life in our souls.   As we live, the peace of God permeates every pore and fiber of our being and we find peace integral to our experience. 

 

The busyness of life, the muchness of things and activities, the trials of living will not defeat us.  We must build a life that depends on God and the confidence we have in His ability to frame our lives.  

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to find peace in my hurried life.  Amen.