S80P13 – Growth spurts: peace
2 Pet. 1:2-4
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
He had resigned from a rather coveted professional position in order to pursue work more along the lines of ministry. After a very short time of finding no leads, he was approached about a new opportunity with a Christian organization. He jumped at the chance with very little consideration for anything other than the fact that he would be working in a Godly place. It seemed like this would be the opportunity of a lifetime, but that is not how it turned out. The work environment was much different than expected, even though he understood it would be fast-paced and stressful. He had not been aware of how chaotic that environment would be, and he found himself losing the peace he thought he would see increase in that place. His circumstances started to walk all over God’s promise, and he let his peace begin to dwindle.
Peter’s request for peace to be multiplied fits with the fact that chaos in this world will not only continue but also grow as we approach the day of the Lord. We can view our growth in peacefulness as growth in the power we allow it to have in our lives. The peace we gain through Jesus Christ is not of this world, and it is not dependent on external factors. The issue is that this world is relentless in bringing us evil and chaotic circumstances. We will experience days when it seems like all we encounter is one bit of bad news after another or nothing more than a series of impossible challenges. The way God’s peace operates in us through these times is the way we allow it to operate. Having this peace multiply and grow is letting it work through us as we endure what we face. God gives us enough to have peace in every storm, but the question is whether we give that peace the opportunity to do its work.
A wise person once told me that no one has the authority to take from me that which he has not given me. Although the enemy might bring me tribulation and turmoil, he cannot take my peace in exchange for it. In fact, those dark times are exactly what it takes for me to see my peace grow. It is in the fire that character is refined. Our character should be such that we confront the evils of this world by letting the peace of God diffuse them. As we continue this process and allow the peace of God to diffuse greater and greater evils, it will grow in power and magnitude in us. This peace will not grow in us unless we endure that which requires it and yield to its work. Father, give us the wisdom to know that the peace You have granted us cannot be stolen and is meant to grow through every challenge if we only yield the way.