Peaceful Choices (Discernment Series #12)

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5

What a beautiful promise this verse is for us. Let’s come to God for the wisdom we lack and seek His ways.

In today’s blog, I want to follow wisdom as we dig deeper into the fruit of the Spirit (introduced in last week). We will be honing in on one fruit in particular and what part it plays in our discernment process, and that is the fruit of peace.

1. Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “I commit my spirit into your hands.” In other words, He was asking God to take His precious life now that everything had been accomplished.

That’s a pretty peaceful place to be.

I long to imitate Jesus’ words, but instead of waiting to say them at my time of death, I desire to speak this beautiful phrase to God, right now. I want Him to use my life and let it be all that He wants it to be. I commit my spirit into His hands in dying to myself while living.

A surrendered life brings peace.

2. Feeling safe is a condition that we think will bring us peace, but does it really?

Certain circumstances happen in which we don’t feel safe. Examples for me would include: driving to unfamiliar places, doing new things, speaking uncomfortable truths, giving to others on an empty tank (after a prompting from God) and not knowing if I can handle unappreciation on their part.

Is peace supposed to always be our guide in knowing that something is right when we feel it or wrong if we don’t?

Is it possible that discerning between two opposing choices can be done without bias?

“I think I’ll go with door #1 because it feels safe or peaceful to me.”

Yet, what defines ‘safe’ to God?

Do we make decisions based on our comfort and safety or are we willing to go forward in courage knowing that God’s wisdom and love will carry us through?

Ponder each of the above questions thoroughly.

3. God will lead us, at times, to go through a delay in giving us the wisdom (discernment) we lack and we must choose peace in the waiting in order to truly carry out His ways.

We may say, “I don’t have peace in making this decision.” And sometimes, the peace we seek will come, yet not defined as comfortable or convenient. However, we claim a quiet calm when we know (on a deeper level) that God helps us do what is right even in our most insecure moments.

After all the praying we do and the processing of it all, we still may make a wrong decision! Does that mean all of life will crumble if we get it wrong from time to time? What will happen to us? Will we be struck by lightning?

God is bigger than my incompetency. He is bigger than my mess ups. I am relieved and thankful for that. He knows my heart. He knows your heart. We WANT to follow His ways.

In my mind, I simply don’t see God as a giant, holding a zapper, ready to zap me when things go wrong because of a failed decision. He knows I want to do what is right. He can make good come from my bad choices, my incompleteness and failings.

And…we all can use our mistakes to learn better ways for the next time. We can have peace in simply knowing God will take care of the situation. We can let go of anxiety, stress and worry.

We can even let go of other people’s stupid mistakes and make the atmosphere peaceful (and generous) in our love for them (because we know how it feels to err). THIS makes our lives beautiful. It also sets the tone for others to make better choices next time. Our ‘I told you so’s’ or rages and rants over people’s bad choices only create stubborn, rebellious and prideful hearts who will not learn from their mistakes.

4. When peace is far from you, first ask your heart, “Am I believing a lie (through fear)?” And then ask, “Am I at peace, sometimes, simply because I’m comfortable?”

5. How hard is it to seek peace in times when you must start, continue or end a necessary conflict? What about when you are in the middle of a storm? Where is God? He is absolutely with you and when you call out to Him, He will come to aid you. A peace beyond understanding (Phil. 4:7) will guard you, but you must have eyes to see and ears to hear His kind of peace that may not feel very peaceful. Sit with Him and let Him supernaturally invade your emotions, your mind and heart. He wants to be present in your life. God may still ask hard things of you (that feel unsafe), but to stay in His peace, go forward in His tasks and let Him take care of the rest.

Here are things I’ve added to the Discernment Wheel from last week.

Discernment is:

A desire to do the right thing even when antagonized (to not have regrets)
Following the Holy Spirit and His fruit
Not grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit
Not about one way of doing things; His ways can change in a heartbeat
Flexible
Not necessarily a magical experience
Not a moment to enjoy but to work
Emptying ourselves to be filled with God’s wisdom

Lord, thank you….thank you that even in turmoil and tough decisions, we can find peace in you, an inner calmness that we cannot quite wrap our brains around. Your peace is such a comfort. Growing in letting go of everything having to be perfect in and around me is also a comfort. Father, I commit my spirit to you for always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Forgiven – Deeply Blessed

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1

The things that make us happy are personal to the individual aspects of who we are and what we like. Generally, however, we all enjoy having a greater sense of well-being, both in body and mind. Certainly, we wouldn’t object to a nice inheritance from a relative. And who would turn down the praise and applause of our employers, peers and fellow-workers?

Yet, somehow, the word “blessed” seems to go deeper than health, wealth and esteem.

Embracing a prodigal-son-like humility, a repentant man cannot help but feel an intangible and almost otherworldly depth of blessing when he knows with confidence that his sins have been forgiven and covered over once and for all. His sins have become invisible to God. He gets a clean slate, a do over. He is treated as if he has never sinned.

Is there anything more desirous, more lovely or more profound than God’s grace?

If I gain wealth, the burden of sin (for sin, indeed is a burden) would still feel heavy to me. If people loved and treated me well, unconfessed transgression would still knock at the door of my heart, waiting to be pardoned.

Forgiveness, mercy and grace are the most beautiful words heard around the globe.

King David (the author of today’s psalm) sinned greatly, sin upon sin and even kept silent about it (as is mentioned later in chapter 32). We too, at times, miss the better ways of God, taking our own ‘unfettered,’ wild, wayward and crooked paths, sometimes even foolishly rebelling or sometimes simply taking God’s glory onto ourselves. We suffer the consequences both from the sin itself and from keeping quiet about it. Yet, in forgiveness there is a deep freedom and is ours for the asking. No matter our past sins, we can enjoy sweet fellowship with the Father of lights.

I was 10 years old on the day I was baptized. When I came up out of the waters, I felt so clean and new. There was no doubt in my mind that I would EVER sin again. My childlike mind had eyes only for my Savior, Jesus. Of course, sin came back in to entangle me many times since then. I have given into its rule and have felt the weight of darkness in my soul. But instead of letting it take me down, I rise once again like that little child, inside the kind grace of the Lord, and turn back in mind and spirit to His pleading call for my life.

Staying in the word, in prayer and in fellowship with a community of believers has helped me to recognize the sins of my heart. The solution to sin is confession and pure repentance: a changed life!

Lord, I gladly partake of your blessed forgiveness and my heart is at rest. I come into the light, unlike Adam and Eve who hid themselves from you. The work ahead is great and I am ready to follow you anywhere with all my heart. Instruct me in the way I should go. Help me to never leave your side. In Jesus name, Amen.