Peace...

Ok, so I don't remember if I mentioned before but I'm doing a Bible study by Beth Moore called Living Beyond Yourself. It's a study of the Fruit of the Spirit, and it's REALLY good. However, I'm doing it twice simultaneously, in English with the staff ladies and in Spanish with Sandy, so this stuff is really hitting and sinking in. The odd thing is that it's sinking in more after doing it in Spanish than when I do it first in Spanish.

Anyway, we just finished studying peace, and that study really affected me, especially given certain situations that we have been dealing with in regards to one of our youth. It has been a difficult process, and the Lord has been teaching me a lot about resting in His sovereignty instead of in my own ability to affect things and people, especially when they do not respond to my counsel or influence. And He's been teaching me a lot about continuing to love people even when I'm not in agreement with them. In the midst of all this, though, there was this study of peace. Here's what I wrote in my post this week on our staff intranet:

So, I've just finished a couple of weeks of studying peace in this study on the fruit of the Spirit (Living Beyond Yourself). I think what has stuck with me the most and really has me thinking is that the peace of Christ that we are gifted (John 14:27) accompanies the authority of Christ (Is. 9:6-7). That puts a whole new spin on peace somehow: that instead of seeking peace, we ought to be seeking out and yeilding ourselves to the authoriday of Christ. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit that has been important to me for quite some time, but this new perspective has completely uprooted my understanding of what it is, and yet at the same time it has finally given that understanding some sort of solid form. It sure does have me re-evaluating a lot of things, though.

This week we're starting in on Patience, and so far we've looked at one of two greek words for patience, one that translates most commonly as "perseverance" or "endurance". The most striking point that she made in relation to this particular type of patience is that it is inspired by hope, and in the greek the word for greek means a hope that is expecting to see the results it's hoping for. She pointed out that very often when we talk about hope today we talk about something we that might happen but there's still doubt in our mind and we remain somewhat skeptical until we can know that it has happened. But hope in the greek is when we expect to see that hope become reality--no doubt about it. I was really challenged by this, especially following on the heels of peace and how it accompanies the authority of Christ. In the face of difficult situations or relationships we often find ourselves having to be patient in the sense of persevering or enduring with the hope of the resolution. But the resolution comes when we yeild ourselves to the authority of Christ and allow Him to work in those circumstances or relationships. It's when I put my HOPE in the authority of Christ that I find the peace that passes all understanding and nurtures a patience in me that pushes me to endure whatever is going on for the resolution that God has in store. It's amazing how it all works together like that....

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
~Romans 8:28