Give peace a chance
The telephone in my kitchen rang.
I saw the caller ID: Campbellsville, Ky. I knew what it was. I had applied and interviewed for a reporter position at a local newspaper in Campbellsville. I was a wet-behind-the-ears college graduate, who took the summer off to participate in summer missions and now eagerly hit the pavement seeking gainful employment.
I had never lived away from home. I even lived at home while I went to college. The summer hiring period had come and gone while I served Jesus in Florida. The specter of returning to my retail job at the mall loomed larger as weeks went by with no prospects.
Seeing a job in Campbellsville, I sent a resume, scheduled an interview and scouted the town (though I was too young and inexperienced to know what to look for in a new town.) It went well, and now, a week later, the phone rang.
I answered it and sure enough, it was a job offer. I got nervous and excited and anxious at the same time. What if it wasn't the right move?
My family all lived in Northern Kentucky. My girlfriend (whom I had already decided to marry but she didn't know that yet) still had a year left of college in Northern Kentucky. My friends all lived there too.
I asked for a week to consider the offer. They agreed, so for the next week, I prayed and prayed and prayed about what to do.
I never received a peace about the move. So, a week later, I called the editor informing him I wouldn't be taking the job. He said he understood, and even recommended me to a local paper seeking a sports reporter. I took THAT job a few weeks later.
In Ephesians 6, Paul writes about the Armor of God - spiritual qualities that will aid us in the spiritual battles for our souls. He tells us to stand firm in the shoes of the Gospel of peace. It's funny. Paul, in a passage about warfare, tells us to reside in peace.
Yet, to me, it makes perfect sense. God is not a god of chaos. God is a god of peace. When we are at peace, we can clearly hear his voice. When are souls are at peace, he are free to follow and obey his directions.
Jesus came to give us life and more abundant and free. Free of what? Guilt, shame, and chaos. He came to give us peace.
When we seek peace in our lives and relationships, we are in harmony with Christ. Christ, though he spent his ministry in controversy, always remained at peace with his mission - a mission that meant terrible suffering and ultimately death.
I try to base major decisions in my life on peace. If I pray and sense God's peace, I know it's the right decision. If not - like in the case of the newspaper in Campbellsville - then I know it's not what Jesus wants me to do.
Pursue peace. Listen for his voice. Follow his commands. Stand firm in your convictions and know that God seeks peace for your life.
I saw the caller ID: Campbellsville, Ky. I knew what it was. I had applied and interviewed for a reporter position at a local newspaper in Campbellsville. I was a wet-behind-the-ears college graduate, who took the summer off to participate in summer missions and now eagerly hit the pavement seeking gainful employment.
I had never lived away from home. I even lived at home while I went to college. The summer hiring period had come and gone while I served Jesus in Florida. The specter of returning to my retail job at the mall loomed larger as weeks went by with no prospects.
Seeing a job in Campbellsville, I sent a resume, scheduled an interview and scouted the town (though I was too young and inexperienced to know what to look for in a new town.) It went well, and now, a week later, the phone rang.
I answered it and sure enough, it was a job offer. I got nervous and excited and anxious at the same time. What if it wasn't the right move?
My family all lived in Northern Kentucky. My girlfriend (whom I had already decided to marry but she didn't know that yet) still had a year left of college in Northern Kentucky. My friends all lived there too.
I asked for a week to consider the offer. They agreed, so for the next week, I prayed and prayed and prayed about what to do.
I never received a peace about the move. So, a week later, I called the editor informing him I wouldn't be taking the job. He said he understood, and even recommended me to a local paper seeking a sports reporter. I took THAT job a few weeks later.
In Ephesians 6, Paul writes about the Armor of God - spiritual qualities that will aid us in the spiritual battles for our souls. He tells us to stand firm in the shoes of the Gospel of peace. It's funny. Paul, in a passage about warfare, tells us to reside in peace.
Yet, to me, it makes perfect sense. God is not a god of chaos. God is a god of peace. When we are at peace, we can clearly hear his voice. When are souls are at peace, he are free to follow and obey his directions.
Jesus came to give us life and more abundant and free. Free of what? Guilt, shame, and chaos. He came to give us peace.
When we seek peace in our lives and relationships, we are in harmony with Christ. Christ, though he spent his ministry in controversy, always remained at peace with his mission - a mission that meant terrible suffering and ultimately death.
I try to base major decisions in my life on peace. If I pray and sense God's peace, I know it's the right decision. If not - like in the case of the newspaper in Campbellsville - then I know it's not what Jesus wants me to do.
Pursue peace. Listen for his voice. Follow his commands. Stand firm in your convictions and know that God seeks peace for your life.
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