Shine: A Life Of Peace

I don't think there is anything more confusing to an unbelieving world than the "Peace" you find in "some" Christians. Notice I said "some"? The truth is not all of us who claim the name of Jesus have the kind of peace that Jesus promises. The truth is we are an anxiety riddled world, we worry about many things. The Bible tells us to whom much is given, much is expected, but we live in a world that says to those who have much, you just worry about losing it. As I said a few weeks back, Peace and Joy are inter-related, if one is missing the other one for sure is absent. Why is it when we have so much to be thankful for, when we have been so greatly blessed; that we can still be a people looking for peace in all the wrong places, and always coming up empty of it? Could it be there is a connection between peace and gratitude? Let me be transparent for a moment, the longer I am in ministry the harder it is for me to find pockets of pure peace, places and times that wash over me and leave me feeling our heavenly Fathers peace. This past week I sat in ancient churches and monasteries and could actually feel why escaping to monastery living might be so appealing. But God has not called us to retreat from the world but to go into it in his name. I actually think our pace is the number one reason most of us lack genuine peace. The thing is; we want to have it all, have it on time, have it our way, and have it endlessly fulfill us. The problem is this kind of attitude is killing some of us and for sure is robbing the rest of us of some potential peace. See ya Sunday, I am looking forward to being back among you!