The Peace

Ephesians 2 And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

And with those words I feel the peace of the Lord in my heart. The peace, that for the last couple of weeks, has been elusive. I am relearning and old lesson; only Christ brings peace into our lives. Only a relationship with Him brings the peace that passes all understanding. Every time that I allow my focus to shift from my relationship with Him to anything else my peace begins to drift away.

And the world is full of pretty distractions.

Maybe it is because I am getting a little older, or hopefully a little wiser, but I am not quite as easily distracted as when I was younger. I don't really care for sports cars; I don't feel like something is missing from my life because I do not have a fur; I am quite content with the engagement set that I have already and I don't stay awake at night mourning the fact that I don't own a private jet. But I do have a treasure chest. A wooden box where I store all the things that I think I cannot live without. All my jewels and trinkets. And I lord over it with fierce possessiveness. My one area of control. My treasure.

But does it bring me peace? Actually it has the opposite effect. What if I lost it? What if the Lord asked me to give it away? What if it was stolen? And these are the thoughts that keep me up at night.

Matthew 6 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Our sermon last Sunday was entitled, Love is not selfish. The question was asked, In what area of your life must you always have your own way? And I knew that answer immediately. My home. My treasure box and the source of some of my anxiety.

But what if I gave it back to the Lord (since He owns it anyway)? What if I opened my home to His service and shared it with others like He shares it with me? What if I took a proper perspective and realized that I am only a steward of these few things that are here? What if I loosened my grasp on this earth and focused my heart on the only thing I possess that is eternal?

And He came and preached peace....Through relationship and reconciliation to the Father.

In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Little idols in our lives. Always seeking to draw us away from the one thing that saves us and brings true contentment and happiness; being found in Christ.

Philippians 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things...practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.