True peace is in danger

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If you ask a modern young person what the word peace means to them, you often only get an inadequate and superficial answer: "The main thing is that there is no conflict and no hatred towards other people, but that there is respectful interaction and that people are willing to compromise. If necessary, you simply avoid each other."

If, however, you ask a young Christian with initial experiences in the life of faith about peace, he will say: “Peace with God comes through the forgiveness of sins. Then follows a life of peace with one's fellow human beings and with God, which one can then enjoy.” Neither of these considerations is objectionable. But for a true disciple of Jesus, for whom his Lord has become the meaning of life and who allows his heart to be illuminated by the Word, these answers are not profound enough.

Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). No one can offer or give someone something they do not themselves possess. Jesus could only speak these words because He was truly able to leave His peace with His disciples.

His own profound peace came from his inner relationship with His Father: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The reason lay in the fact that He was His Son and did the Father’s will. This gave Him the assurance that He was not alone, but that the Father always accompanied Him with favor. The peace bestowed from heaven is a state into which the believer may enter.

This state is free from fear and unaffected by external influences. Here, the human heart is illuminated by divine light within a firm communion of love, from which true joy arises. It leaves no room for discord and disorder. The peace of this world, however, is deceptive and cannot withstand critical situations.

Divine peace is impossible without personal reconciliation with God. That is why Paul writes the good news: “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind because of your wicked deeds, he has now reconciled in the body of his flesh by death” (Colossians 1:21-22). God becomes human in order to reconcile humanity with God in Jesus Christ after the Fall. Humanity should be allowed to enter into fellowship with God again, just as Adam once did. This happens through his Son. This offer is directed to humanity, which has lived in enmity toward God since the serpent's deception.

It was love that compelled God to offer His only Son as a holy and spotless sacrifice for atonement. Indeed, God did not spare His only begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all. Jesus reconciles with God, through death, those who in their very being are alienated from God, hostile to Him, and live in evil deeds.

He does it for the following reason: “To present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and do not waver from the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:22-23). This passage makes it clear that God's work on the human soul does not end with accepting Jesus, but that a fulfilled life in Jesus Christ follows, characterized by obedience in discipleship.

It is certain that a person's character, inner state, morals, attitude, and disposition cannot be attributed to their fate or predestination. A person's character is shaped by the influence of communities, which can be a positive or negative influence. Therefore, a sincere striving for what is good and divine is essential.

Let us cherish true inner peace like a precious pearl.

The path to peace

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). To attain true inner peace and thus rest for the soul, Christ calls us to active action, which consists of the following steps:

"Come to me"

First, a person needs to recognize their own corruption and lostness in order to even come to Jesus. They must become aware of the necessity of the help of a stronger one. The proud "I" must be shattered. Only through the Son of God can the soul find, by grace, a solution to this hopeless situation.

“Take my yoke upon you”

This is a call to unconditionally join forces with Jesus, to walk in step with Him. One's own will can only die here, for otherwise offense and dissatisfaction would immediately arise. This also means, however, that one must trust in the guidance of an all-knowing one—someone who has my best interests at heart and who knows the right path to life.

"Learn from me"

A student is not a teacher, and humility is necessary for learning. It's difficult for a know-it-all to learn from others, since they already know everything, or at least think they do. However, the realization that much more knowledge is needed is a good foundation for an attentive and willing heart in discipleship. Just as Christ did not live for himself but submitted completely to the Father's will, so He desires to see the same from us. In this way, the Father in heaven is glorified.

Through a life lived in communion with God, which the Bible also calls a life in the Spirit, we are sanctified as human beings. We are conformed to the image of the Son of God. The works of darkness are put to death, and deceitful desires are cast away. The spirit of our minds, on the other hand, is renewed (see Ephesians 4:22-23). This is a process through which God desires to lead us, and He accompanies us on this journey.

The Holy Spirit, our Advocate, will teach us everything and remind us of everything Jesus said (cf. John 14:26). Our hearts will also be filled with the love of God and guided in all truth. In this way, the fruit of the Spirit can blossom within us. Through the willing surrender of our lives and our consent to this process, a state of deep peace is born in the heart. A unity arises between the human soul and its Creator.

Circumstances that affect peace

The story of Cain and Abel exemplifies the importance of one's heart's attitude before God. Cain's offering was not rejected by God because it was unworthy. "If you do good, you will be lifted up; but if you do not, sin is crouching at your door" (Genesis 4:7), God admonished him. Cain lacked sincerity. His question should have been: Lord, what is wrong with me, with my offering, or with my offering that you cannot accept it? But instead of placing himself in the light of the Lord and recognizing the obstacle in his heart, his anger and resentment grew against his own brother, whose offering God had accepted.

When life throws us a curveball, a situation that threatens to shatter our inner peace, it's high time we examined our own hearts. When an insult truly wounds us deeply and we struggle to forgive the hurt inflicted, it's as if an inner worm is trying to devour us. In such a situation, we can barely think of anything else. We practically become ill. Furthermore, an insult can be all the more devastating when it comes from someone we trust.

When God wants us to take certain paths that we don't feel equipped to handle, we become suspicious. We don't like these paths. We don't want to accept them because they force us to bend so low that we break completely, in order to truly be made into something better.

When King David sinned gravely against the Lord and tried to conceal his actions, his unrighteousness grew so severe that he could no longer find happiness in them. The prophet Nathan made this clear to him through the word of the Lord. He realized how his bones were wasting away day and night through his groaning. His very strength was withering within him. He understood that God longed for truth in the depths of his heart. Therefore, he confessed his guilt and, with a broken and contrite heart, begged God to free him from bloodguilt. God cannot despise such hearts, nor can he ignore them.

When joy, gratitude, and contentment fade, when our old life refuses to let us go and the hope of glory fails to enlighten our hearts, and when, as a result of one or more defeats, the ground is pulled out from under our feet, then our hearts must not allow themselves to be blinded by evil at that moment. They must stand before the author and perfecter of faith and allow themselves to be enlightened by His Word. No further step should be taken until we have entered into His peace.

True peace with God creates unity between the human soul and its Creator.

Everything that happens in our spiritual life always has a purpose. God wants to shape us, open our spiritual eyes to something special, and nurture our spiritual life. Just let go of your limiting thoughts: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God's Word, in Jesus, always offers us a way out of our miserable situations. We must learn to surrender everything to the Lord. This means: Accept God's ways and trust Him! He has something better in store for you. Stop fighting for yourself. We have already made so many mistakes in our lives. The Lord fights for us and makes no mistakes. "Vengeance is mine," says the Lord (see Deuteronomy 32:35). Forgive wholeheartedly, for forgiveness is born of love.

Joseph's brothers were afraid after their father's death, for they thought Joseph had not forgiven them. But he answered, "Am I in God's place?" (Genesis 50:19). Wait for Him, and you will thank Him. Your heart will become secure and strong because at your side stands One who holds everything in His hand, to whom all things are subject, and before whom every knee will bow.

When true inner peace has filled our hearts, let us hold onto it like a precious pearl acquired by a merchant who sold everything he had. Often we treat it carelessly and allow ourselves to be distracted by the meaningless things of this world. “Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown” (Revelation 3:11). In the constant communion of the blood of Christ is life. The power of life is not meant for ourselves alone, but life within us becomes a living spring of water that flows to eternal life.

Become a peace ambassador

The Bible shows us the different periods of history and, above all, describes the end times. When the world speaks of “peace and security,” “sudden destruction will come on them like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).

When lawlessness prevails and love grows cold in many (cf. Mt 24:12), Christ needs us as his ambassadors, boldly calling out to those who are lost: “Be reconciled to God” (cf. 2 Cor 5:20). Young people are among these ambassadors.

God's Word is so powerful that it reconciles people, families, cities, and nations with God and transforms their lives into lives pleasing to Him. There are so many voices spreading hatred and discord, politicizing issues, but ultimately changing nothing. As long as humanity remains separated from God and untouched by His love, it remains in its sinful nature and will manifest the works of its carnal nature.

“See on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace” (Nah 2:1). God needs consecrated instruments, vessels that want to know nothing but Christ, the crucified one, and who desire to dedicate their lives completely to the Lord’s service and live in the Holy Spirit. God’s pleasure in a holy Christian also includes making him a source of God’s holy Word for many.

This Christian is then an instrument through which He, by the power of the Holy Spirit, wants to reveal the fullness of His will to His creation. “My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Paul not only set an example for us in this, but he himself understood what the human soul longs for. It longs for something genuine, something true and unadulterated. It longs for God and for true peace in Him.

The following words come from a revival preacher (1703-1791) who, loving God and humanity, traveled approximately 400,000 km on horseback and in carriages to deliver 40,000 sermons. His work sparked an entire movement seeking peace with God.

"O give your love!"
She then shows the way
And belief,
whom nothing can discourage
And hope,
which does not spoil any disappointment,
A burning heart,
whose fire does not die.
That I don't sink into inertia
and rut, but burn brightly,
as a flame from God."

John Wesley from the book

(MacDonald, 2008)

May we make ourselves available as instruments for the Lord's work and be faithful even in small things. May we have the right word for our neighbor at the right time, so that he may be refreshed and motivated to follow the Lord.

David Wentland

Municipality of Bremen-Mahndorf