God’s desire for His children is that His children keep growing into the exact image of Christ. Every day, wherever we find ourselves, whatsoever we find ourselves doing; God wants us to keep becoming more like Christ. God wants our words to be Holy Spirit birthed and controlled. He wants our actions to replicate heaven on earth. He wants our thoughts to align with the values in the Kingdom of Light. Though we’re on earth, we belong to God and He wants our flesh to keep conforming into the image of His perfect Son—Jesus.
As we grow and walk with Jesus, with each step we take forward with Jesus, we’ll have to let go of some things. The Holy Spirit we begin to show us what matters and what matters most. We’ll begin to see and understand that certain things aren’t worth holding on to when compared to what we have in and with Jesus. We’ll begin to notice how the Holy Spirit will insist we reconcile with people we aren’t at peace with, when we spend time with Him in the place of prayer. When we read the Bible our hearts will open up to God’s instructions and we’ll begin to see changes and choices we’ll need to make, based on what God’s word says.
When it is very obvious that what will need to change or let go of is very unpleasant to us, it can be easy to just let go, but easy is not always the case. So, when can it be easy to let go? Well, let’s give an example. We all know how hard it can be to hold grudges against someone: you can’t talk to the objects of your grudge, you can’t stand their essence, you can’t even subject yourself to their helping hands, even if you badly need help and they are the only ones that can help. So, letting go of a grudge to welcome reconciliation will feel liberating. However, when we have to let go of something we’re so in love with, letting go might be very hard. And by being in love, I mean something that gives us so much peace, calm, and enjoyment.
You can find peace and calm in a place you’re not supposed to be in
There’s a Peace that surpasses all humans understanding, and it can only come from God. It is what makes a Saint rejoice even at the very center of pain. It is the force that renews and invigorates a Saint, even when the Saint is getting backlashed from every angle.
But we should know…the world has peace and calm. There is peace and calm outside the presence of God. The peace and calm in the world can never be compared to the peace and calm from God…but there’s peace and calm in the world. We can find peace and calm in our: serene environments, achievements, gains and benefits from hard work, authentic friendships, loving relationships, caring family etc.
Let’s try to create pictures with words: let’s say you are in a public building and that building is under attack by terrorists. The terrorists are holding everyone hostage and are now killing their captives, one after the other. Being one of the hostages, how would you feel? Scared? Really scared? Terribly scared?
Whatsoever your option might be, truth is your peace and calm will vanish. Now, it can only take God to give you peace and calm in the heat of such a situation, even when there’s no physical evidence that you will be saved. However, there is another way you can find peace and calm. If for some reasons the terrorists are confronted and defeated by legal armed forces, and you and the remaining survivors are freed…it might take you time, but your calm and peace will return.
So, yes, the peace of God can never be compared to and with the peace we can find outside of Him, but humans can find peace in this world. And again, yes, the ability to find peace and calm in this world is still God’s making…but my point is there’s a peace and calm that is void godliness. There’s a peace and calm that might not be Holy Spirit inspired. There’s a peace and calm that comes naturally…because of where we find ourselves, who we find ourselves with, what we are doing, where we’re doing it, how we are doing it and who we are doing it with. We can be very much attracted to something, very much connected to it, find peace, calm and enjoyment in it and it can be very ungodly.
Like I always like to say, our flesh is an ally of the devil. Our flesh can fall head over heels with a well scripted story, whether the story defiles the values of God’s Kingdom or it defends it. Our flesh, naturally, can’t resist a good beat with perfectly blended fine lyrics, even when the lyrics are coated with immorality. So, we can so find connection with things, people and places that we’re not supposed to be connected with…ask Samson from the Bible. Visit his story in…Judges chapter 13 to chapter 16.
And leaving might be uneasy
But we have to leave. When the time comes, we have to choose “not-peaceful” over peace and calm. We have to ask for Grace to help us leave. If God will have us leave…then there’s nothing else to consider. We just have to embrace uneasy and bid peace and calm farewell.
What we have to bid farewell might not even be sinful. It might just be a place, thing or person that is blocking the new phase God has in store for us. Sometimes, it might just be something, someone or place you have to leave in order to allow God’s will come to pass. Wasn’t it the case with Jesus? Jesus was in heaven, but He gave up His place in heaven to be like us. He gave up heaven for the shame, insult and pain that came with the cross. The writer of Hebrew, in Hebrews 12:1-2, had to mention it to us, “…let us strip off and throw aside very encumbrance—unnecessary weight—and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of race that is set before us. Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also it’s Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (AMPC)
The above scripture says, “Unnecessary weight and that sin” so it might really not be something that is sinful. It might just be something that is unnecessary to still hold on to.
As we walk with Jesus, with each step we take forward with Jesus, we’ll have to let go of things…this is not questionable. So, what is the Holy Spirit telling you to let go of? Are you still holding on to it because it gives you peace, calm, and enjoyment? No! Let go!
Nothing is worth holding on to, if it affects your growth in Christ…and God can never ask us to let go of something that is not harmful to us. God is ALL knowing. For us, eternity has no end, but God sees the beginning and end of eternity. Yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever are before Him. He sees ALL and He knows ALL. If the Holy Spirit is asking you to stay away from it…then be rest assured that there is no atom of good in it for you. The peace, calm, and enjoyment your flesh is making you feel are nothing but…L I E S.
Discipline and correction don’t usually come with peace and calm, but if we must grow and get better in our walk with Jesus, we have to embrace and be very comfortable with discipline and correction. The best part is, after a while the not peaceful, not calm, not enjoyable will yield rewards that are fruits of righteousness.
Hebrews 12 went further to say, “…You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline. God is dealing with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline? Now if you exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God’s children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all]….for [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them, but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness. For the time being no discipline brings joy but seems grievous and painful, but afterwards it yields peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it…” Hebrews 12:7, 8, 10 & 11 (AMPC)
Do not let the peace, calm, and enjoyment you find in a place, person or thing stop you from moving into God’s best for you.
My prayer for you and me:
As we keep growing in Jesus, may we always see all we need to let go of…and no matter the peace and calm we find in them, may we find Grace to let go…in Jesus’ name…Amen.
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