Teacher of Peace
God is truly with me. Or, perhaps it's more correct to say, I must truly be with God. I must be in His Grace; under His wing; in His tower of refuge. His Grace, Mercy, and Salvation from internal suffering has been proven to me once again.
Jesus said, you will experience troubles, but I give you my Peace. The salvation of God is not salvation from difficult situations, but the immunity to fear, anxiety, and the beliefs/emotions which cause our internal suffering. Fear is hell. Anxiety is hell. Worry, dread, hopelessness, etc., are the fires of hell that burn our souls. These cause panic, struggle, and unrest, often leading to unhealthy and irrational behaviors.
Today, when I viewed my checking account and saw that a large sum had been deducted (by legal order), leaving me with a very low balance for the remainder of this month, I was shocked. However, I wasn't shocked at the circumstance, or the low balance. I was shocked at my lack of internal reaction to the scenario. Even without a logical or cognitive solution to the situation, my mind did not get worried, nor did my soul. I didn't even have to pray, or perform meditative practices to help me focus on hope, or to build my faith. I simply had internal and unshaken peace. Hallelujah!!!
After having multiple experiences of lack, poverty, need, and material insufficiency throughout childhood and adulthood, I have always dreaded these circumstances. Yet, I now see that it was never really the circumstances that I dreaded, it was the internal experience of crippling and hopeless fear that I hated. My weak and unrenewed mind would fall into extreme anxiety and attempt to calculate a solution, often to no avail. The fearful mind would pass on its hopeless and anxious energy to my soul, and suddenly my whole being would be overcome with angst. And this experience is what we can call hell. Or at least one of the cities in hell's kingdom.
But today is a different story. Today I have been blessed with the opportunity to be faced with an apparently unfavorable financial circumstance without being burned by hells flames of fear and angst. This is a miracle! This is Salvation: To be free of fear; To be free of worry; To be able to “be still and know”, even when faced with the flames, or a lion's den. Fear not, for I am with you. And when this reality of His presence, faithfulness, and love have become more real than this material reality, we get to experience more of the fulness of His salvation.
Today I was able to be unshaken at something that used to topple me. Today I was able to experience victory over something that, for years, has been able to steal my peace and joy. I am so excited and grateful that Gods Spirit of Grace has changed this within me. What a miracle!
Salvation is Peace. His kingdom is Peace. He is the God of Peace. Christ in me is the Prince of Peace.
Today I faced an old enemy, but this time I smiled at him. I was unmoved. I was able to love my old enemy, instead of fearing him. And internally the attitude of Christ in my heart said to my old friend, "It's ok if you need to take from me. I forgive you. You can have whatever God allows you to take. I know God is with me. You have been a great teacher to me over these years. You have helped to train me in the skill of Peace. I honor you. And because of the strength you have helped me build, today, I choose peace.”
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