The Secret To Real Peace

"We choose to think of what they do well."

IN SOLOMON’S PRAYER over the temple, there is one consistent plea, that God would hear and answer. That they would turn toward Jerusalem from wherever life had taken them and with repentance in their heart, call upon Him, and in hearing them, He would maintain their cause. Though the prayer was Solomon’s, and the temple was a literal one whose use would fade when Jesus came, the response was God’s and the view of it spectacular.

“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” (2 Chronicles 7:1-3)

This is what we, the church of Acts, cry out for. We want fire and smoke from the glory of the Lord, to worship in the awesome presence of Him who created the world, who saved the world, and see healings and miracles, manifestations of the Holy Ghost (He is a Spirit) on a magnificent scale. What we get, what we see instead, though, is peace, and peace takes no golden glow, no cloud. It changes the heart. It heals the heart, and for some, for most, that is the most valuable thing.

The only way out of anger is peace. The only way to let go of frustration is to embrace peace. And God’s peace is fullness, it is peace that encompasses all of our being from our thoughts and decisions to the actions which follow and also our feelings about people. The words of Philippians 4:8 are our thoughts about people. When we look at that person who irritates us, we choose to think of what they do well, what is praiseworthy about them. When we look at the one who doesn’t dress or carry themselves how we think they ought to, we say what is just or right and true about them. Who are they in Christ? Or who could they be? With deliberate action, we choose to think as Jesus thinks. We see His perspective and not ours.

“The secret to real peace and contentment is an abiding trust in Christ—realizing that my strength comes from him; and through the peace, strength, wisdom and perspective that Christ gives me, I can handle whatever happens.” (Philippians 4:13, Remedy)

Jesus came to reveal the Father, whose perspective of us is gentle and loving and kind. It was His SO LOVE which caused Jesus to choose to give up all He knew, all His thoughts, and be born as an infant. And a baby only knows His mother’s and father’s faces. The Father sees us with delight. “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son (Ephesians 1:3-6 MSG).” The cost was worth it and was secure. There would be no failure in it. Though Jesus was God, He lived and worked, remembered and learned as a man. He had who He was revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit and was so sure of it He would allow men to crucify Him (John 20:17).

We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). He comes inside us when we accept God’s salvation. Through our confession of belief in His love and faithfulness, we are made new spirits of His kingdom of love and light, and He comes to live within us as our Teacher, our Guide, our Friend. Our peace. He is why Jesus could face the cross and a cruel death and be at peace. What His mind and His body rebelled against in His humanness, His heart was confident in, at rest. He did just as His Father asked of Him, not listening to the temptation to fear or to hate, but instead, He chose to see those who hung Him there through His Father’s eyes.

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)

We must do the same. And be consistent at it. Love is a continual, every day, every moment action. It is who we are. But only by choosing to love will it become natural to us, and the hope and endurance of love become a response. 1 Corinthians 3:7 says, Love “hopes all things and endures all things.” The word “hopeth” in the King James means “to wait for salvation with joy and full confidence.” The word “endureth” means "to bear bravely and calmly, ill treatments.” There is no better description of our Savior than that and no greater thing we can emulate. Though God desires to surround us with His glory in even greater measure than King Solomon saw, it comes to those whose hearts are ready, those who have chosen God’s perspective and not the world’s, where glory and honor and prestige are arrogance and self-service at the expense of others. In contrast, Jesus laid down who He was to be like us. No truer focus has ever been held in front of us.

And we have the words of Philippians 4 to confirm it, where rejoicing is followed by our image of moderation, of gentleness, and prayer which leads to peace.

“For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ … But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ … Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you must stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.” (Philippians 3:18, 20, Philippians 4:1 BSB)

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7, BSB)

Image by igormattio from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com