Fiona Veitch Smith

The whole New Age and Self-help movements are geared towards one thing: finding and keeping inner peace. What these movements miss is that the prerequisite for peace with ourselves is peace with God – the external, objective, personal, creator God. Any religion or philosophy that says we can have peace with ‘God’, the ‘Universe’, ‘Humankind’ or whatever simply by accepting who we are and being kind to other people is rooted in Humanism, a belief that all that we need to live a successful life may be found within. But what happens when we look inside and do not find those resources? Then maybe it’s time to look somewhere else.

Peace with God

What does it mean to have peace with God? Peace is the absence of enmity or discord. Nothing stands between us: no grudges, no guilt and no unfinished business. The result of that peace is an easy relationship where we are comfortable in God’s presence.

 This wonderful state of being, this Fruit of the Spirit in our lives, is a result of our reconciliation to God through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. (Romans 5:1-2)

When we ask Jesus to come into our lives and free us from all the stuff that stands between us and God (aka ‘sin’) the slate is wiped clean and we are at peace with God.

When the peace doesn’t hold

Unfortunately, the slate doesn’t stay clean. As human beings we are prone to sin and put at risk the peace we have with God. How many times do we have to push Him before the peace treaty is revoked? I wonder the same whenever I hear that North Korea has tested yet another nuclear device. How long will the peace hold?

How far can we push God? There is a theological debate about whether or not we can lose our status of ‘being saved’ if we continue to sin without repenting (see for example Hebrews 10:26 – 29 which warns us not to push God too far). But that’s a discussion for another article. What I will say here is that if we confess our sins God will wipe the slate clean again and again (see 1 John 1:9). A lifestyle that seeks to be at peace with God is one that reflects true Salvation. Once you’ve tasted peace, do not let it go.

The peace of self-knowledge

With that sermon out of the way let me backtrack and say that the New Age and Self Help movements have got something right: accepting who we are is to be found on the path of peace, but this is a result of peace with God not a cause of it. It is the Holy Spirit who shows us who we really are. The ugly, sinful parts need to be repented of. But there are other parts that need to be loved. I will never be a tall, leggy modelesque beauty. I need to accept that and love little old me just as I am. I’ll never be a great athlete. I’ll never be good at mathematics. I’ll never be a gifted pianist. Some of these things are genetic, some due to lack of opportunity (or application!) as a child. I cannot spend my life regretting who I am not nor yearning for who I might have been. That is not the road to peace.

Let us not be like the man who looks in the mirror then immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:23-24). Let us see ourselves for who we really are: the good and the bad. Let us love what needs to be loved and hate what needs to be hated and ask God to grant us the peace to be who He created us to be.

Bringing peace to others

But it doesn’t stop there. Once we have peace with God and peace with ourselves, we need to bring peace to others.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9)

Peace on earth is one of God’s goals. This peace will only be fully established when the Lord’s Kingdom rule is extended throughout the world at His second coming, when evil will once and for all be defeated. Until then, there will be pockets of peace, as the angel proclaimed, in men on whom his favour rests (Luke 2:14).  It is the job of every Christian to extend the peace that is ours to influence the world around us.

This can take many forms. One way is to refuse to engage in any activity that spreads strife: refraining from sharing a juicy piece of gossip at the water cooler; choosing not to respond in kind when your irritated spouse snaps at you; biting your tongue and not having the last word in an argument; backing down from a ‘road rage’ incident – these are all ways in which the enemy of peace – enmity – can be stripped of its power.

Being a bridgebuilder

Another way is to be a mediator or bridge builder. The willingness to see both sides of an argument is something that should be cultivated. However, I’m disappointed to say that I rarely see it in Christians. The aggressive, uncompromising stance of much of the Church has done a lot of damage. Yes, we are called to be defenders of the truth, but more harm than good is often done in the way we do it.

People like this revel in the verse at the end of the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.’ (Matthew 5:11)  But is it really because of God that people get their backs up in your presence, or simply because of you? We need to find the balance between being a defender of the truth and a peacemaker.

By God’s grace, we can compromise without compromising Him.

Finding a place of peace

The final aspect of peace I would like to look at is finding a place of peace. I was initially going to write an article on patience for this edition, but with the deadline only a few days away I felt God impressing me to change it to peace. God is one thing, but the editor is another! She was on holiday and I didn’t want to bother her, but I sent her a quick message. She responded by voicemail saying: ‘No probs to change the subject. Off for another boat ride on the Broads this morning then for a spot of retailtherapy@peace.com’. Ahh, that’s the life!

I missed my August holiday this year because my daughter had Swine Flu. We’re not even into September and I’m already feeling it. I need to find a place of peace to recuperate soon, even if it’s only for a long weekend. Build time into your lives to reclaim your peace. Yes, it needs to be done every day with God, but we need time away from all the pressures that threaten our inner peace too. Jesus needed it. Many times in the Gospels we read that he went off alone. This was the time he recharged his batteries, spent quality time with God and strengthened the peace within Him.

As a mother with a small child this ‘peace time’ is often difficult to find, so I need to be creative in how I do it. Sometimes just washing the dishes with a worship cd playing while my daughter watches Scooby Doo next door can give me an oasis of peace. When was the last time you were in a place of peace?

This article first appeared in Plain Truth, Autumn 2009, as ‘Peace Perfect Peace’