Knowing the Peace of Christ

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven, because all His works are true and His ways are just. He is able to humble those who walk in pride. Daniel 4:37

I think the main reason most believers don't live in peace is due to the responsibilities we load on ourselves that were never meant to be ours. Many of us spend a large percentage of our lives trying to change others. We beg, we plead and try to reason. We say hurtful things, hoping to get their attention when all we really do is cause more pain and harden people towards us. We lose sleep trying to figure out our strategy. We justify manipulation tactics by convincing ourselves that we're helping them. But it never works; such an act of self righteousness only causes bitterness and frustration on both ends. All of this can be avoided if we'll just surrender to Jesus and His way.

In truth, we need as much change as everyone else, yet we've been staring at the tall grass in the backyards of others for so long that our own grass has grown up above our heads. It's so much easier to spot problems in others than in ourselves, isn't it? It requires far more patience and intentionality to focus on our own hearts than it does to help our fellow man see his or her own wretchedness. But ours is the only one we're truly responsible for. And until we face ours head-on, we won't be of any use in helping others with their own. 

The most foundational way that we can make an impact on others is to live in the peace Jesus offers us personally. His peace is such an unusual thing in this world we live in and so it's going to turn heads. It's not a place of pride, but of humility and acceptance. But living in that place requires that we stay close to Jesus, on purpose, where we can learn proper boundaries and see our own hearts clearly. 

Every way but His way will backfire. While our way divides, His brings us together. He can turn the most sinful and hate-filled hearts into purer and love-filled vessels. He alone can change any heart and humble the prideful. Quite often, that's us. Ask me how I know.