The Pathway To Peace

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.

I recently read the Serenity Prayer in its entirety for the first time. The line that caught my attention stated “Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.” Peace is of a high priority in my life. I have a deep desire for spiritual, emotional, and domestic peace. In Matthew chapter five, Jesus describes peacemakers as being identified as children of God. The corollary attributes of peacemakers include poorness of spirit, mourning, meekness, hunger for righteousness, mercy, and persecution. These attributes seem to be opposite of making peace. For me to live out these commandments will bring hardship and difficulties into my life, yet Christ promises blessings. Indeed the pathway to peace is marred with suffering and conflict.

Si vis pacem, para bellum

This Latin adage is loosely translated “If you wish for peace, then prepare for war.” While this may or may not hold true politically, it is my opinion that it is true spiritually. If I want spiritual peace, then I must be prepared to wage spiritual war. If I want domestic peace, or emotional peace, or nuptial peace, then I must be willing to fight for it.

This war does not consist of battles with mortal enemies. It does not employ WMDs or conventional armaments. This is a war of faith. The enemy: My flesh and the sin that dwells therein (Rom. 7:20). My weapons: The full armor of God (Eph. 6:11).

My sinful and selfish desires wage war on my soul (1Peter 2:11) and therefore deprives me of peace and serenity. I must fight my sinful flesh, beating my body into submission (1Cor. 9:27). Like an Olympic athlete, I must exhibit the mental, physical, and emotional self-control in all things, so that I may run the race as to win (1Cor. 9:24-26).

On my own and in my own strength this war is futile. Apart from God I am dead, a slave to iniquity. But thanks be to God that though I was a slave to sin, my old self was crucified with Christ so that my body of sin may be done away with, and I would no longer be a slave to sin (Rom. 6:17,6). Therefore I am dead to sin and alive to God (Rom. 6:11) and must not let sin continue to reign in my body. Through the power of the resurrected Christ I can live free from sin and the ensuing war of the flesh. Through Christ I can have peace. For I know that even when I am lured and enticed by my own desire (James 1:14), God has provided a way of escape (1Cor. 10:13). I desire righteous peace.

Thus I fight (1Cor. 9:26).

for His glory,
DJ