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Musings on Faith #33 Peace in the Midst of the Storm | |
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With the failing economy, corruption, greed, and ineptitude both in Washington and on Wall Street, and staggering debt on the national, corporate, and individual levels, the Blame Game is in full swing. All of us are at fault to some degree, but none wish to take responsibility. With all of this on my mind, I read Ephesians 4:1-3, "[L]ive a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (NIV)."
We are in a crisis unprecedented in the lifetimes of all but the very oldest of us. We are living in an atmosphere of hatred, animosity, and blame. Fingers are pointing in all directions. Rampant greed has brought us to the edge of the precipice of ruin. Fear and anxiety are gripping our society, and the world. How different from all of this is the calling of Ephesians 4:1-3! Here Paul admonishes and encourages us to live our lives in a manner worthy of the love of Jesus Christ. He reminds us to always be humble in our hearts and minds, and to be gentle in our hearts and in our interactions with others, gentle in our speech and in the words we utter. He encourages us to be patient, and to wait upon the Lord, whose time-table and plan for our lives are not always our own, but far more to our benefit. He commands us to bear with, or put up with, one another in an attitude of love, loving others as we love |
(Continued) ourselves. He admonishes us to work hard, continually, to maintain, and keep within our hearts, the unity that is ours through the Holy Spirit. He reminds us to honor and maintain fidelity to the bond of peace - not the peace of men but the peace of God, that peace which He places within us through the Holy Spirit. In times like these, amidst all the anxiety, fear, and blame, it is easy to forget the fruits of the Spirit which are meant to guide us and direct our lives. Now might be a good time to commit Ephesians 4:1-3 to memory, and to make it a guidepost to direct us through difficult times. Things may very well get worse before they get better, and they may very well get much worse. But with the righteousness of God within us, with humility and gentleness, with patience and love, striving to maintain the unity of peace through the Holy Spirit, we, as Christians, can face and endure all that life may throw at us, knowing that even in the most difficult of times God is with us. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:5, KJV)." What is the message? That we have nothing to fear nor to dread. That even should privation come, we still will be able to rejoice in the abundance of His blessings. Hallelujah! Yours in Christ, Tom Woodard |
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