Part II - This Christ Walk - 3 Keys to Peace
“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
James 3:18
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Belonging is a big thing in today’s world. Fitting in. The right group, the right connections can make all the difference as far as how others see us, and what we can do. But every group carries its set of rules and guidelines …expectations that must be met, or else our status of “belonging” comes into question.
After a certain point -if we’re not careful- our group status begins to define us in ways that conflict with our faith.When the group image begins to conflict with our “Spirit” image, the “peace that passeth all understanding” can quickly turn to chaos.
The 3 Keys to Peace listed in Part I of this article were -
- The innocence of our youth proves the folly of our so-called rational maturity.
- The conflicts and turmoil we encounter in this life are the result of the perspectives we’ve chosen to claim as our own.
- The love in a child’s heart is the most powerful force this species possesses.
So the $64,000 question might be -as Christians, how do we make innocence, love and belonging work together without losing the peace that “Spirit” gives us?
The Innocence of Youth
The older we get, the more we realize how hostile and destructive this world can be. Life expereince teaches us things -unpleasant things- and we’re fools if we don’t heed these lessons. And yet to trust in God’s protection and plan for our lives means learning a whole new set of lessons that go against everything that we’ve learned to be true.
The innocence of youth holds that special ability we all had to hope in what’s right. As we get older, this ability becomes warped. Instead of trusting in what’s right, we rather trust in what’s accepted, or what’s “labeled” as proven. As Christians, we feel these discrepancies in our spirits. More oftentimes than not, there’s a big price to pay when we do the right thing. There’s an even bigger price to pay when we act as if “the right thing” doesn’t really matter.
Chosen Perspectives
Each one of us has a chain of conditions that must be met before we consider ourselves to be happy …or wealthy ….or, at peace. These conditions aren’t carved in stone, but sometimes it may feel like they are. In a sense they define how we’re “supposed to” feel, and inevitably shape our perspectives on life, living and people.
And then we’re faced with the Christ Walk …wow. We read about His life, his beliefs, his care and love for people. The idea of Him walking on water seems trivial when compared to the perspectives He chose to embrace. How do we find the strength to push against this world’s pressures? Against this world’s expectations of us? Against the roles this world puts us in? To choose His perspective?
The Heart’s Love 
While the mind may be the commander-and-chief of the soul, the heart will always get the last word …one way, or another. Be it a job, or a marriage, or a project, or a friendship, or a career -if our heart’s not in it, it shows. We feel it. Something’s not right. Something’s missing. Something’s off. These feelings are indicators that let us know we’re veering off the path to peace. These are Spirit’s signals, placed only where our hearts can sense them.
If one of our roles, or groups, or perspectives goes against the heart’s love nature, peace becomes the bargaining chip. We’re Christians because our God is all about this love principle. There’s no getting around it. There’s no way to compromise this principle without losing His peace.
Our hearts will show us the way …if we let them.
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