He was an angry man. He had a wife and family but he lived his life in turmoil, creating heartache for his wife and children. There was little joy found in him. When he was around others, he could put on the front that made him look like he was pleasant but it didn't take long in conversation to hear his negative tones and cutting demeanor come out. When he would come home from his work, he talked down to his wife, treating her with contempt when she had done nothing. He created misery for himself and his family. Those that should be the dearest and find peace, happiness and companionship was nothing but an empty, hollow, lifeless shell. Simply put, he just didn't seem to care about anyone. He was a loner, misable and a complainer. People often wonder how those who call themselves Christians can live such lives. It is easy and the explanation might surprise you.
"There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Rom. 2:9-10) Here is the reality to the soul of every person. A person that is troubled and distressed, that causes havoc in the lives of others, is a person who is hiding some kind of evil in their lives. The sin they are hiding has taken hold within their soul and they in turn take that guilty pain and spew it on others. On the other side, you take someone who loves and lives for the Lord, they are humble and repentant, have much peace in their souls and that peace shows itself by living honorable lives that glorify the Lord. Their family is blessed! These are the two types of people. I sat with a Christian mother, who shared with me how awful she has treated her husband over the last year. She would snap his head off for no reason and constantly attacked him by calling him names, especially when he would do her good. She could not take that. It took 14 months for her to admit openly that she had a secret affair going on and she knew it was wrong but the thrill of the secret drove her to continue. Sin had overtaken her life and the turmoil ensued while she deceived herself into thinking is was alright to do. We deal with a real, eternal God who knows and sees it all. He will give to each one according to the life they live and it will reach their soul.
God is a God of peace and when people spew hateful, bad attitudes around those they "supposedly" love, something is wrong in their soul. Go back to the garden and see how sin entered into Adam and Eve's lives. The moment sin entered, the hiding started. The hiding led to blaming everyone and never standing and confessing their sins in the presence of God. As a result, they were driven from the garden and the presence of the Lord. What is worse is that the longer one stays in their sins, it only grows stronger and the conscience and life become hardened. The result is hateful, belittling attitude, unloving toward their mates and children, no care for the brotherhood and no love for the Lord. To mistreat your mate will cut you off from the Lord! Paul told Timothy that these kind of people only "hold to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power." (II Tim. 3:5) We then learn that "evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (II Tim. 3:13) Many times they admit they aren't happy but refuse the Lord's way to find peace and happiness. They won't get better until they decide to confess and forsake their sins! That takes an honest and good heart but the longer one stays in their sins, the heart erodes into evil and it becomes very difficult to find your way back. (You can get to the point of no return because of a stubborn, unrepentant heart!) The heart that was once moved by love has become black and hard. Now that should concern us!
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I was about to go down a tangent into how the bookstores and libraries of mankind are full of books that attempt to tell us what is wrong with us and how to go about fixing it. I decided to avoid that conversation for now, even though it does have substantial merit in that it shows no matter how much man tries, he can not do anything outside of God and expect it to be right.
What came to mind when I read this involves the phrase "God is a God of peace." (about 2/3 of the way in the post). That got me to thinking a little. Paul makes a point to mention this at the opening of every letter he wrote regardless of the situation which prompted the letter in the first place. One might argue it was a part of his writing "style", but if you take the time and read each one you will see why he makes that statement. (Paul also uses it in most of his closings too.) Peace only comes from God. Without God there is no peace for man no matter the material things one has or the particular situations that exist in one's life. Yes, it might seem that things are at peace at different times in one's life, but that is only a false sense of security in one's self.
The peace of God allows for a soul to face what it must and still maitain the focus on God. It is amazing how different the peace of man and the peace of God are when you really pause to think about it. It is also so very frightening to think that even in the peace of God we can fool ourselves into believing that our peace is of our own doing when it's not. Sin always separates us from the peace of God, but yet we seldom comprehend this fact when it happens in our lives. The peace of God doesn't mean that you will not face trials, as mentioned. The peace of God makes it possible for you to face any trial in a way that should always bring the focus and glory to God.
I could not have said it any better. Thanks Jim!
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