Thought for Thursday, September 13th

September 13, 2012

What Price for Peace

“Almost all of us long for peace; but very few of us have much enthusiasm for the thoughts, feelings and actions that make for peace.”

-       Aldous Huxley

Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.

Proverbs 17:1

Peace, quiet, tranquility: these three and maybe a few more qualities of like nature; are often sought after, but very infrequently gained.  Have you ever wondered why?

Could it be because by nature (sin nature that is) humanity by in large is not very peaceable?

The truth is, in the church especially, more time is spent engaged in, thinking about and trying to overcome conflict than probably any other activity that is engaged in.   Most ministers find a vast majority of their time has to be devoted to keeping the congregation for tearing each other apart, rather than being able to minister to them and help them learn how to build each other up.

You may feel this is somewhat of an exaggeration: but you don’t have to look much further than your own church to find strife, division, derision, disharmony and discord.

Even Jesus had to deal with disharmony, jealousy and strivings within just a handful of men, who He hand picked to be His disciples.

If we could just learn to see things as Jesus does, to trust the Father without a hint of or shadow of doubt: and if we could yield unrestrictedly to the Holy Spirit’s power and presence and we would but be willing to love, forgive and have compassion like Jesus did, does and will: we would be able to find that peace, experience that tranquility and know that quietness of heart and spirit that we so long to experience.

An ambitious goal, don’t you think: but one that would be well worth the effort if the objective were truly achieved.   

Today’s Prayer 

Father, I have no peace for I fail to be peaceable:   I aim for tranquility and fall short for I am not tranquil:  I often long for quiet, but I am never still and noiseless: teach me to be tranquilly quite and peaceable so that I can be what you want me to be, hear what you want to say and know that You have it all under control.

.He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call “

-  Lyrics from ‘He Knows My Name’ by Tommy Walker