Peace or a Sword?

My home country Canada is going to be celebrating her 149th Birthday on July 1st.  Canada is known for her peacekeeping role around the world, and because of this she is a country well-loved and respected around the globe.  While peacekeeping is admirable, sometimes it can cost you everything, as we'll discover later on.

Rather than "peacekeepers," the Bible talks about "peacemakers" in the Beatitudes.  

Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

This is not just a nice saying that Jesus said for people to try and be good. This is stating a fact of who a child of God is.  In fact, can we claim to be a child of God if we don't promote peace with others?  Scripture never indicates that we should do otherwise -- it is a requirement of being a follower and believer of Jesus.  

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Eph 4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Where there is strife, we must try and "make" peace with others.  

Where does peace come from?  It certainly doesn't come from the world.  It can only come from God.  Jesus is the one who calms the storms, calms our fears, and puts everything that's chaotic into a perfect order.  We have only to look at the intricacy of nature and the vastness of the untouchable universe to quickly perceive that only He could put it all together and keep our tiny planet afloat in space in perfect balance.  Jesus is the author of peace, and it is part of His nature.  

Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Rom 15:33  Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Peace is also a fruit of the Spirit and it is result of turning everything over to Him through prayer.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Now we turn a corner, and we come to the heart of this blog.  We find one of the most surprising and notable passages of Scripture regarding peace when Jesus declares that He did not come to earth to bring peace.  

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Mat 10:36  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

We may find this confusing considering other Scriptures we've just read about our God being a God of peace, and that we must keep peace amongst ourselves.  But we need to understand that in these passages Jesus is talking about the cost of following Him.  In this context, He is referring to a peace that is passive, a light that is hidden, and a love of something or someone else that is greater than our love for Him.  In other words, He didn't come to bring a nice orderly religion where you wear your Sunday best, go to church and say hello to everyone. He's not talking about a 'surface religion" or just giving Him a Sunday morning ritualistic mental assent. No, He came to bring a RADICAL change in our lives that would come at a great personal cost.  Namely, it is an all-inclusive heart, mind, body and soul commitment!  We are asked to love Him more than anything else in our life, especially when the going gets tough and we are under the threat of incredible loss and/or persecution. 

All else that we love will have to take a second place, or perhaps be removed completely.  This is the "sword" He is talking about because it will divide and it will devastate.  The cost will be great and any attempt to "make" or "keep" peace may fail if we are seriously making a choice to go all out for God.  We may not say much, but the ones affected may have a lot to say and it will hurt and divide.  Our loved ones will not want to take a second place. They will want to be front and centre, and we will have to constantly make that choice to go all out for God, or lose out on a dynamic relationship with Him.  In fact we could lose everything, even our own life.

If you have taken a stand for Jesus, you will already likely have experienced the "piercing of the Sword," when someone quickly shut you down, insulted you, rejected you, or kicked you out of the group.  You may not be welcome in your own family and treated as a stranger.  You may be singled out in your job as that "religious" person that no one wants to talk to.  Perhaps you have been fired.  Maybe you have lost your inheritance.  In spite of all of this, Jesus promises in Matthew 10:39 -- he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.  So if you find that today you are holding on to something for dear life, and nothing seems to be going right, it is time to let go and grab the Hand of the Lord who was nailed to the cross for you.  Give Him your all.  Only then can you find life and true peace.

Can we be Calm in the Midst of Chaos?

For some time, I have noticed that my life's duties have accelerated at an alarming rate, and I am busier now than when I worked full time and attended night school to get my first degree.  And it has not been good for my health or peace of mind.  Before people used to talk about "Type A" personalities, people that strived for perfection and had a schedule that spun circles around everyone else.  They were the doers and ones that insisted on succeeding well at everything they did.  But now it seems that in addition to myself, almost everyone I know is as busy as I am, and we are all "Type A personalities."  So what is happening that so many people are busier now than they've ever been?

Many Christians and even non-Christians can sense there's been a change in the world. Time seems to be passing quickly, and the world seems to be growing darker, and this is Biblical (see Matthew 24:23).  With technology like smartphones and tablets that are quick and the world's knowledge is at our fingertips, we can overload our minds and not even realize how much information we are forcing our brains to process.  Searching online or anything else we are doing on our tech toys can and do eat up a good chunk of our time.  It is no wonder we suffer from information overload, and it is no wonder we fall behind on so many of our duties, even basic duties. Sadly, many relationships (or lack of) are a reflection of this.  Loneliness, lack of purpose, fatigue, exhaustion, and depression are the norm for many today, especially in the Western world.

Recently I had a wake-up call when my body sent several alarming signals that I was overdoing things.  In fact, this went on for a few days and I wondered if I should see a doctor.  I decided to pray specifically to the God who made me in the first place, and ask Him what to do.  He brought to mind several things.  First, I was all over the place in my thinking wondering which task to perform first, so my brain was on overload making it hard to sleep at night.  Bingo!  Lack of sleep from over-thought processing! 

I was given the sound advice to calm my thoughts by focusing more on Scripture than on the many things I need to do. Another word for it is "meditation."  Meditation is a word used loosely and frequently amongst non-Christians of the faith. They will mediate on various passages, philosophies and so on, often to music.  I meditate on the Psalms, and now when I read I try to spend enough time that a new revelation of Scripture will come to me.  I consciously push every other thought aside and I ask for God's help to silence my distracting thoughts. Then I purposefully dwell on that one or series of Scripture surrounding that one thought.  By the way, meditating on Scripture brings results that bear good fruit, because it is the "living" Word of God.  It also comes with promises like in this familiar passage:

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

I realize too that there is an enemy, the devil, trying to keep us constantly distracted and not think about Scripture or God.  He's been doing this since the beginning in the Garden of Eden.  He is the author of chaos and confusion, and he works so subtly we often don't even realize that he's crept into our thought life!  He distracts us constantly because he knows the power of the Word of God, and especially when we use it and believe it, it will defeat him and bring down his evil schemes.  In fact, over time, when we've been spending more time in the Word, we will recognize the fact that he is an imposter come to steal our peace and our joy and our peace of mind!

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

To answer the question, Can we be Calm in the Midst of Chaos? Yes, I believe we can, but not without the Prince of Peace, Jesus, the Lord of all Creation and heaven and earth who created us and loves us.  He loves us each in a personal way and He knows our name.  He longs to have fellowship with us, but He can't when we're too distracted by the things of this world. And if we think we can have peace and calm without Him, it will only be short-lived and as temporary as a watered plant during a severe drought.   If we truly want peace in the midst of our chaotic world, we must put Him first, and then consciously take the time to spend in His Word.  Then just talk to Him as if we are talking to a friend over a cup of coffee.  Ask him questions, then wait for His answer.  Do this daily and over time you'll notice your world go from crazy to calm.  I can honestly say that this is what is happening to me, and it’s only been a short period of time.

Joh 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.