NURTURE PEACE

SEPTEMBER 24, 2022

John 14:27—“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you a s the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

We worship with our resources as a means of nurturing God’s peace in us. Jesus recognizes His disciples’ need for peace. Peace, Shalom in Hebrew, conveys the idea of completeness, wholeness, and fulfillment. We usually go to one of two common sources to quench our thirst for peace, Jesus or the world. They are not the same.

The world encourages us to achieve completeness and fulfillment by striving for more material things. This leads both rich and poor to engage in this frenzied race for just a little bit more. Unfortunately, it’s like chasing a mirage or drinking seawater when thirsty. Material possessions are not real solutions to our insecurity, sense of powerlessness, and fear of insignificance. Socrates, the philosopher, while walking through the groaning abundance of the market in Athens, exclaimed to himself, “Who would have thought that there could be so many things that I can do without?” Do we really need more?

In contrast to the race to acquire more, the Bible exhorts the believer to embrace contentment (Phil. 4:11-13; 1 Tim. 6:6-12; 2 Cor. 12:9, 10; Rom. 8:28) to grow in peace. As Christians, our contentment does not mean that we settle for what is mediocre. We become content when we acknowledge that an all-powerful and loving God is taking care of our needs, both material and spiritual. Ellen G. White recommends ways to acknowledge God as Provider: “He asks us to Acknowledge Him as the GIVER of ALL THINGS; and for this reason He says, of all your possessions I reserve a TENTH for Myself, besides gifts and offerings, which are to be brought into My storehouse” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 65). Cultivating contentment through giving is great gain!

Lord, we praise You for being a faithful provider. As we are inclined to forget and become stressed, help us remember Your goodness by giving back to You and others.