Peace

Matthew 10:34-39, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves sone or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."

I was at lunch the other day with my Dad, and as his tradition he blessed the food. But in that prayer he asked God for peace. Immediately Matthew 10 came to mind, along with an understanding of what Jesus was teaching us.

Regardless of your beliefs; life has difficulties. As I write this I have a step-son in jail, 3 friends in epic struggles with cancer threatening their lives a too early an age. Another friend struggles with being left by his love. And I am sure you can come up with your own examples of peace robbing distress. These difficulties, these challenges are very much the sword Jesus describes. Luke called the sword "division." But this division that on the surface appears as turning family member against family member are really nothing more than God dividing our traditions, our teachings, our idea of religion from what is truly a living relationship with Him. Are you... are we... standing on a tradition taught to us because of the family we were born into? Or are we standing on a vivid relationship to the Father. If we are standing on a real relationship then by necessity of our soul and character we must have a life that confronts "healing doctrines." If we stand on relationship then by necessity we must have a soul changing life that confronts "prosperity doctrine," ministry doctrines, being saved by works, church attendance, tithing, sin and all other things that were meant to lead us to God and relationship; but that have been exploited and misused by "religion" and tradition. The division divides truth from fiction. The division is proving our soul, it is refining our soul's relationship to the father.

John 14:26-27, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

Christ again reminds us that our peace is not going to be found in family, or suedo families like churches, local groups, or others at all. In those things there are too often traditions. Helpful as they are in leading to Christ, they are not Christ and we each must individually walk our own path. My cross is not your cross. My path is not your path. But if I seek God, if I faithfully step today where He says step, then I am listening to His teacher the Holy Spirit. Circumstances and the path may be scary as hell... but my soul has peace. In this we fulfill loosing our lives to find it for His sake.

Be blessed, and peace be with you.