Three Things That Steal Peace
Every Monday afternoon, some high school young men drop by our house to spend time with Robert. It’s a casual mentoring sort of relationship with young men that don’t have a healthy male presence in their home. It seems to mean a lot to the teens to drop in.
The third time they came, one of the guys leaned back in the recliner and said, “I like it here. It’s peaceful.”
I was surprised to hear that from this young man, but when I thought about it, there isn’t much peace in his home—or in his life. I wonder if he’d ever experienced peace.
We all like peace, don’t we? But we scurry through our days, rarely pausing long enough to experience it.
The kingdom of God is “righteousness, peace, and joy.” “Grace and peace” are often spoken as greetings and salutations in the New Testament letters. Shortly before His death, Jesus told His disciples “Peace I leave with you” (John 14:27). We are called to peace and told to live at peace with each other.
Peace is important if we are children of God. Even the world, people seek peace.
But it alludes many of us. We don’t know where to find it.
If you lack peace, it is because something is blocking fellowship with God. Something is obstructing the flow of His grace. When you feel close to the Lord, you have peace.
If you lack peace, ask the Lord to shine His light in your life and show you what the block is. Many things can hinder our relationship with the Lord. Three common ones are:
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Idols.
God said, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3).If anything in your life is more important to you than your relationship with God, it creates a barrier between you and Him.
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Hidden sin.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jo. 1:9). If we don’t confess our sins, our unrighteousness blocks us from God.
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Unforgiveness.
“If you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matt. 6:15). Forgiving others is not the same as saying they are right or letting them off the hook. It is turning them over to God for Him to mete out the punishment that is deserved. As long as you do not forgive, it will hinder your fellowship with God, stunt your faith, and rob your peace.
In Christ Jesus, we can have peace—even while in the midst of a storm. However, if we harbor things that hinder our relationship with Him, it will steal our peace and joy.
When life gets harried, we long for peace and often make arrangements to get away. That’s not a bad thing. It’s good to take a get out of a stressful situation and lean back in the easy chair.
However, we need to remember the source of true peace. If we want peace, we need to clear our lives of anything that separates us from the Lord so we can rest in His peace.
More blocks to peace will be discussed next week.
What do you do to reconnect with the Lord when you find yourself out of peace?