Heart at Peace

"A heart at peace gives life to the body."

Proverbs 14:30

World leaders pursue it.  The Swiss and Norwegians give prizes to promote it.  Entertainers sing about it.  Philosophers wax poetic on the origins of it.  Religions claim to have it.  Talk of peace is everywhere, but is peace even possible apart from the One who created me?


The Dalai Lama said, "We can never obtain peace with the outer world until we make peace with ourselves."  
Mahatma Gandhi said, "Each one has to find his peace from within.  And peace to be real must be unaffected by the outside circumstances."
Buddha said, "Peace comes from within.  Do not seek it without."


Each of these men knew the importance of a heart at peace, but were confused about how to find it.  It comes not from within and cannot be found through sheer effort and determination.  Instead, peace comes from a mind that is focused on God and His ability to take care of me.  Rest is found in loving Him and His law, for then I am not fighting against His ways.    A sense of harmony permeates my life because I am reunited with God, now able to foster a personal relationship with Him because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. 


Peace is found in being right with God.  How do I know whether my heart is at peace?

Content

Here is my picture of contentment:  Sitting in a comfortable chair on a cold winter's day next to a blazing fire with a dog at my feet and a good book in my lap.  Aaahhh.  I'm more relaxed just thinking about that scene.  

Feeling satisfied and completely at ease with my circumstances is not a usual state for my heart.  Most of the time I am thinking of ways to improve the way I do things or how I can upgrade my possessions or about additions I can make to my home or yard to increase my quality of life.  I am usually not content.

The Apostle Paul knew how to be happy with what God had given him, whether in plenty or in need, well-fed or hungry.  He said the secret was to know that, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."  (Philippians 4:13)

True contentment has nothing to do with my circumstances, my possessions or my position.  Instead, it has everything to do with the One who provides all things.  God will get me through any situation if I would only trust Him.  This means I must give Him the control, allowing Him to choose how much I will have, or not have, and I will choose to be thankful for what He has given me, not pining away for what I lack.  

Turn of the 18th Century writer and preacher William Law said, "One who makes it a rule to be content in every part and accident of life because it comes from God praises God in a much higher manner than one who has some set time for the singing of psalms."  The bottom line is that when I choose to be thankful for the place God has put me, I am paying tribute to Him with my attitude.

A heart at peace keeps my focus on what I do have, not on what I don't have.  It is then that I am truly praising God.

Trusting

Playing on a teeter-totter is an exercise in trust.  If the person on the other end of the lever suddenly jumps off, I will crash to the ground and my faith in that person will fall as well.  But if that playmate instead keeps steady on their end, being mindful of my well-being when exiting, I know I am in good hands.  I would trust the second person more than the first.

In this same way God has proven himself to be completely trustworthy.  Over 300 of the prophecies told about the coming Messiah were fulfilled in the the birth, life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Moreover, there are over 2,000 total prophecies given in the Bible, all of which came true.  


Beyond the prophecies, there are hundreds of accounts of times that God came through for those who followed Him; He delivered Noah, his family and ark load of animals from the flood of judgment.  God asked Moses to do the impossible but made it possible by His mighty Hand.  He sent Gideon to war when He was outnumbered 300 to 1, yet secured him victory.  


In the same way, God will never let me fall and I can trust that He has my best interest at heart.  The psalmist reminds me that, "Blessed is the man who fears the LORD. . .he will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  His heart is secure, he will have no fear."  Psalm 112:1, 7-8)


Trusting in God, though,  takes more than reading about all the ways God is dependable.  Building a trust relationship also means I will need to experience His times of deliverance for myself.  When I take a step of faith, getting in over my head out of obedience to Him instead of saying, "Oh, no, I can't do that.  I'm not ready for that yet,"  I am telling God that I have confidence that He will give me what I need to accomplish what He's put before me.  I am saying that I know that He's up for the job even if I'm not.  I am giving God the message that my life is in His hands.


 A heart at peace grows deep roots to feed on the living water offered only by God.. . and flourishes.  

Devoted

The blackberry vines threatened to overtake our yard.  At first it was kind of fun to have some blackberries right in our own backyard.  Then, the insidious vines began to encroach on our yard, reducing the size of our grassy area.  One day I'd had enough.  I declared war on the intruder.  

As part my anti-blackberry campaign, I needed to devote my full attention to the annihilation of this unrelenting menace.  Each day I dedicated some time to pulling vines out of the ground.  Once I reached the end of the yard, it was time to start over again at the other end, continuing by pulling out the vines that had recently sprouted.  I could never let my guard down.  Even today, 2 years later, I must do a weekly sweep of the area to remove any determined plants.  

My attention to God and His ways could be similarly attentive.  Just as it was unwise to leave any roots or stragglers when clearing the berry bushes, I must be equally as diligent when clearing things out of my life that dishonor and distract from God.  There are many activities, relationships and philosophies that seem harmless and even kind of interesting at first.  Soon, though, I will find that they will encroach on my heart, taking the attention that once was devoted to God.

Like the Israelites, I need to be careful when dealing with idols and false gods.  It was said that the heart of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah was at first, "devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah."  (2 Chronicles 17:6)  He was not just focused on God and His ways, but he was also diligent about removing from the presence of his people the temptation that would take his people away from God.

How many times I hang on to music, movies or magazines that dishonor God because it seems wasteful to throw them away.  Other times I feel justified in keeping objects or hobbies that tend to be obsessive for me because I've already invested so much time and money into them.  Or there are certain belief systems that seem right to me and I continue to support out of tradition but are actually in conflict with the message of the gospel.    

A heart at peace is intolerant of anyone or anything that takes away from my full devotion to God.  

Peace is possible.  As I give God more and more of my life to do with as He pleases, I am left with a peace that is inexplicable.  The evidence of this heart at peace is a sense of contentment, an ability to trust God, and a devotion to God and God alone.  This is truly a picture of good health!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will seek peace with God by pursuing Him and Him alone.

What am I unwilling to let go of out of respect and reverence for God?

When is my heart discontent with the circumstance in which God has placed me?

The Secret

I have learned to be content

whatever the circumstances.

I know what it is to be in need,

and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content

in any and every situation,

whether well fed or hungry,

whether living in plenty or in want. 

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:11b-13

Some secrets are meant to be told.  It seems whenever I know something special and empowering, I don't want to keep it to myself.  I want to tell others, encouraging them with the same encouragement I have received from God.  After all, following Christ in a fallen world is hard enough without gaining strength from one another on a regular basis.  We all can use all the support we can get. 

The apostle Paul is a great encourager!  In today's passage, he sandwiched a nugget of truth within a word of thanks for the faithful support of the church at Philippi.  He couldn't help but reveal the secret he had found for being content. 

Contentment does not come naturally to my sinful nature.  In fact, I find myself using the common ground of grumbling to open a conversation with complete strangers!  I know everyone can relate to the drudgery of laundry, the irritation of whining children in a crowded grocery store, or the frustration of waiting in line while the clerks seem to take their time.  I'm good at finding fault with my circumstances.

But Paul learned the secret of accepting his circumstances and being satisfied.  This is the kind of secret I can't wait to hear!

Learned

Have you ever been told, "You've got a lot to learn!"  These words are usually said in the context of an argument and are meant as a put-down.  But there is much truth in the content of the message.  I do have a lot to learn.  And one of the things that I am able to learn is to be content.  Complaining comes naturally.  I don't have to work at that.  But contentment is something at which I must work. 

It is not normal for me to accept my circumstances.  I am always wanting more, or less, in all things.  Either it is too hot, or too cold.  Very rarely is it just right.  Many times I want more clothes and get tired of wearing the same thing time and time again.  But other times I think I have so much that I can't decide what to wear!  I am a person of habit so it is easy for me to get into a rut of what I eat for breakfast.  After awhile, I tire of the same old thing, desiring something different but not knowing what it is I want.  It seems I'm never happy.

This reminds me of our dog.  If he is in, he wants to go out.  If he is out, he wants to come in.  We often tell him that he's never happy!  And I guess I should know, because this illustrates my attitude, as well.  The difference is, however, that I do have hope.  God has given me the ability to learn, and contentment is one of the skills I can acquire.

Since we only remember 10% of what we read and 20% of what we hear, it seems it won't be very effective to try to learn contentment by studying about it or hearing lectures on it.  The good news is that I can remember 90% of what I say and do, so if I start practicing contentment, I will learn to be content!  Being begins by doing.

Not Circumstantial

As I begin to practice contentment, I start to see that satisfaction with my circumstances is not at all based on my circumstances!  It is simply the way I view my surroundings.  It is making the decision to accept where God has placed me as well as who He has place me with, the state of my health in this situation and all other supportive factors that go along with my present location.  In a nutshell, it is "blooming where I am planted."

At the base of it, contentment is really an attitude of thanksgiving to God and trust in God, acknowledging His Sovereignty and bowing to His choice for my life.  When I am constantly complaining, either out loud to others, or within to myself, I am essentially telling God that I don't like what He has chosen for my life, I think His plan stinks and that I could choose better if given half the chance.

The thing is, I am not in control.  God is.  And no amount of complaining is going to change that fact.  It is only going to make me and those around me miserable.  The bottom line is that accepting my circumstances, whatever they may be, brings peace to me and my family.  And like the wisdom of God that is revealed in Proverbs 14:30 reminds us, "A heart at peace gives life to the body,  but envy rots the bones."  Contentment promotes a healthy lifestyle while living in a state of always wanting more will ruin my wellbeing.  Questioning God's plan for my life can never be good for me!

Empowered by God

I remember helping my daughters to learn to ride their bikes.  In the beginning, they did not have the balance or confidence to try to pedal all on their own.  I had to run along beside them, holding them up.  This is how God is with us.  We do not have the ability to choose contentment from our storehouse of natural abilities.  As I previously stated, my discontent is innate. 

But with God, all things are possible!  He is doing a new thing in my life!  I don't have to be stuck in the pattern of my old way of thinking.  Instead, I can put my hope in the Lord and soar! 

Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31

I am not bound to my natural inclinations!  I have the choice to turn to my God and ask him to give me an attitude adjustment, showing me all that I have for which to be thankful.  Suddenly, the grumbling disappears and is replaced with a grateful heart. 

A child looks on the ground and sees a beautiful gem, while a more cynical adult sees a worthless rock.  I want to gain the outlook of that child, seeing the good and valuable in all that surrounds me.  And not so that I will live at peace, although that is a pleasant outcome.  Perhaps the most important reason for an attitude of contentment comes from 17th century scholar and author William Law.  "One who makes it a rule to be content in every part and accident of life because it comes from God praises God in a much higher manner than one who has some set time for the singing of psalms."

Learning to be content no matter the circumstances is possible with God's strength.  But it is also essential if I want to praise Him with my life.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can learn to accept things the way they are instead of wishing things were different.

How am I dishonoring God with my poor attitude?

Where can I better accept the circumstances in which God has place me?