Saturday, April 14, 2012

How Does One Define Peace?

I've had the awesome privilege to study Philippians 2:6-11, "The Christ Hymn," in preparation to teach with my man this Sunday. Just teaching with him and studying the Bible with him is amazing but I thought it so great to have this particular passage on the Sunday following Easter. Really, I'm in awe of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. I've had my theology book, my word study & lexical aids, and my Dictionary of Paul and His Letters out on my desk all week. Top that off with some of my favorite worship songs playing on my Mac during study and it's near perfection.

I've been studying theological truth this week but there are some concepts that are just hard to define. Faith, for example. How do you truly define faith that saves? We can explain theological and doctrinal truth but each person has to come to faith in Christ on an individual basis. Peace. We all want it and can give a dictionary definition but sometimes it's hard to really experience. Especially when life seems a mess, or complicated, or hard. I think this week I came in contact with someone who experienced real peace.

There's a man at our church who faced some potentially serious news this week. He was having some medical tests for something that could be even life-threatening. On the day of the medical tests dozens of men at our church gathered with him to pray. He sent me a facebook message the next day to ask me a question about a particular ministry at our church. Following our exchange about the ministry, I ended my message by simply asking him how he was doing. I think I expected almost any answer except the one he gave. Just one word. Blessed. 


I don't know about you, but I don't know if someone asked me how I was doing following a full day of medical tests that could end with some bad news if I would answer "blessed." That is an example of peace. It's calm in the storm. It's confidence that the Creator/Healer is greater than human circumstances.  It's faith. Maybe not easily definable but experienced, none the less.

By the way, he got a decent report back. Apparently, even the doctor thought it was near miraculous.

All to the praise of His great name.  The Name that is above every other name.

"So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow... and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:10-11, in part)

Serving the King,

Jeanette

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