Peace

One of the last things Jesus promised His followers was peace. He added that it would not be peace as the world sees peace but a different and I have always supposed, better kind.

In this instant age I, many people, really like their peace to come in a bottle or a pill. That is what I have begun to call "Purchased Peace" or "Synthetic Happiness". The number of people who are risking everything to have a moment or an hour of "Mellowness" in the form of a drug pornography or a one night sex stand is amazing to me.

Jesus knew that the simple people He chose to carry out His plan on earth were not up to the job on their own. They would need some supernatural assistance to keep their hearts and minds at peace. So, in John 14 and 15 He started telling them about the plan to give them the Holy Spirit as a new Counselor. I am pretty sure that the main reason so many Christians fall away into anxiety and sin is their lack of experiencing the Counselor personally.

I am talking with a lot of people who are dry. They do not enjoy reading the Bible any more and it is dull to them. However, if I ask how their are doing with hearing God they say, "Well, I am not hearing anything. I used to hear God but not any more."

When I ask what has changed, I usually hear the same things. "I used to listen to the Counselor but now I am just too busy to listen."

God never intended us to carry on our lives alone. God through Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to reside with us and in us. Wow! Just look inward sometimes. We don't need to "Chase God." He is so near us that all that He needs to speak is a bit of silence and a bit of listening.

For several years I was a paid listener. I have a doctorate in listening. Most of the people who spoke with me just needed someone to really listen and understand them with love and grace. That may sound easy to you but just think how few people you know who will be quiet long enough for you to complete an idea and then show real interest in you and your idea?

The church is full of talkers. The main reason so few Christians grow and experience peace is because we have decided to hire talkers as pastors instead of listeners. In fact, only good talkers are encouraged to go into the "Ministry". We Baptists were quite honest about what we expected. We called them "Preachers" not ministers, pastors or listeners.

Thus, we think loving God is talking about God not listening to Him. We think being anxious about God's people is spiritual when Jesus said peace was spiritual. If you a want peace learn to listen to the Holy Spirit. He is right there with you and in you. He is in your mouth and in your heart. But we can't hear if we are always moving frantically around. Maybe the entire church has ADHD.