Embracing Peace: Trust, Acceptance, and Vulnerability

Devotional

Day 1: Active Engagement with the Good

True peace is not passive but involves an active engagement with the good and a deep assurance about the future. It requires releasing control over outcomes and trusting in a higher order. This peace is a profound rest of the will, not merely the absence of conflict. Engaging actively with the good means participating in actions and thoughts that align with divine principles, fostering a sense of assurance about how things will unfold. This engagement is not about controlling every aspect of life but about trusting that there is a divine order that guides the outcomes. By focusing on the good, one can find a profound sense of peace that transcends mere absence of conflict. [02:13]

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are striving to control the outcome? How can you actively engage with the good in this area and trust in a higher order today?

Day 2: Acceptance as a Path to Peace

Acceptance of circumstances and emotions is crucial for achieving peace. By acknowledging what we cannot change and allowing ourselves to feel our emotions, we open the door to a deeper sense of peace. This acceptance is a form of surrender to the divine will. It involves recognizing the limitations of human control and embracing the reality of the present moment. Acceptance does not mean resignation but rather a willingness to let go of resistance and trust in the divine plan. By accepting both the joys and sorrows of life, one can find a peace that is rooted in the assurance of divine presence and purpose. [07:05]

Psalm 131:1-2 (ESV): "O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me."

Reflection: What is one emotion or circumstance you have been resisting? How can you practice acceptance and find peace in this area today?

Day 3: Vulnerability as a Gateway to Peace

Achieving peace requires vulnerability, an openness to recognizing our own limitations and capacities. This vulnerability connects personal peace to broader concepts of world peace and interpersonal harmony, as it involves a willingness to be honest about our struggles. Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but a courageous step towards authenticity and connection. By acknowledging one's own capacity for both good and harm, individuals can foster a deeper understanding of themselves and others, paving the way for genuine peace. This openness allows for a more profound connection with others and a greater sense of harmony in relationships. [08:11]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to embrace vulnerability? How can acknowledging your limitations lead to greater peace and connection with others today?

Day 4: Openness to God's Love Over Perfection

God's concern is not with our ability to get everything right but with our openness to receive His love. When we obsess over getting things right, we often miss the peace that comes from trusting in God's love and plan for us. This openness involves letting go of the need for perfection and embracing the grace that is freely given. By focusing on God's love rather than personal achievements, individuals can experience a peace that transcends human understanding. This peace is rooted in the assurance that God's love is constant and unwavering, regardless of human imperfections. [09:31]

1 John 4:18-19 (ESV): "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us."

Reflection: What is one area where you are striving for perfection? How can you open yourself to receive God's love and find peace in this area today?

Day 5: Welcoming Emotions to Invite Peace

Instead of resisting fear and worry, we should acknowledge and welcome them. By doing so, we invite peace into our lives, allowing us to live more fully in the present moment and trust in the divine plan. Welcoming emotions involves recognizing them as part of the human experience and allowing them to inform rather than control our actions. This approach fosters a sense of peace that is not dependent on the absence of negative emotions but on the acceptance of them as part of life's journey. By embracing emotions, individuals can find a deeper connection to themselves and a greater trust in the divine order. [09:56]

Psalm 94:18-19 (ESV): "When I thought, 'My foot slips,' your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul."

Reflection: What is one emotion you have been resisting? How can you welcome this emotion and invite peace into your life today?

Sermon Summary

In today's discussion, we delved into the profound concept of peace, drawing insights from Dallas Willard's "Renovation of the Heart." Peace, as we explored, is not merely the absence of conflict but a deep-seated assurance about how things will turn out, rooted in active engagement with the good. This peace is not passive; it involves a release from striving to control outcomes and a trust in the divine order of things. We reflected on how peace is often elusive, especially when burdened by life's uncertainties, such as concerns about loved ones, finances, health, and our standing before God.

Laura shared her personal journey with peace, highlighting the layers of understanding that come from both religious teachings and personal experiences. She noted the awkwardness and beauty of passing peace in a liturgical setting, the challenge of achieving peace within oneself, and the struggle with the notion that worrying might be a sin. The conversation touched on the complexity of emotions and the importance of accepting them rather than resisting them. Acceptance, as Laura pointed out, is a key to finding peace, especially in situations beyond our control, like the loss of a loved one.

We also discussed the vulnerability required to achieve peace, as mentioned by Stanley Hauerwas, who linked his pacifism to an awareness of his own capacity for violence. This vulnerability connects personal peace to broader concepts of world peace and interpersonal harmony. For those struggling with peace, Laura offered reassurance that it's okay not to have all the answers and that God's love is more concerned with our openness to receive it than with our ability to get everything right.

As you navigate your day, remember that peace is not about resisting fear and worry but about acknowledging and welcoming them. Invite peace into your life by accepting the present moment and trusting in the divine plan.

Key Takeaways

1. Peace as Active Engagement: True peace is not passive but involves an active engagement with the good and a deep assurance about the future. It requires releasing control over outcomes and trusting in a higher order. This peace is a profound rest of the will, not merely the absence of conflict. [02:13]
2. Acceptance Leads to Peace: Acceptance of circumstances and emotions is crucial for achieving peace. By acknowledging what we cannot change and allowing ourselves to feel our emotions, we open the door to a deeper sense of peace. This acceptance is a form of surrender to the divine will. [07:05]
3. Vulnerability and Peace: Achieving peace requires vulnerability, an openness to recognizing our own limitations and capacities. This vulnerability connects personal peace to broader concepts of world peace and interpersonal harmony, as it involves a willingness to be honest about our struggles. [08:11]
4. God's Love Over Perfection: God's concern is not with our ability to get everything right but with our openness to receive His love. When we obsess over getting things right, we often miss the peace that comes from trusting in God's love and plan for us. [09:31]
5. Welcoming Emotions: Instead of resisting fear and worry, we should acknowledge and welcome them. By doing so, we invite peace into our lives, allowing us to live more fully in the present moment and trust in the divine plan. [09:56]
** [09:56]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:34] - Introduction with Laura
[01:09] - Exploring the Concept of Peace
[01:46] - Dallas Willard's Insights on Peace
[02:27] - The Burden of Worry
[03:39] - Attaining Peace with God and Others
[04:07] - Laura's Personal Journey with Peace
[05:10] - The Complexity of Emotions
[06:17] - Acceptance and Peace
[07:18] - Embracing Emotions
[08:11] - Vulnerability and Peace
[09:01] - Trusting God's Plan
[09:56] - Welcoming Emotions
[10:19] - Closing Remarks

Sermon Clips

Peace is the rest of will that results from assurance about how things will turn out. It is always a form of active engagement with the good, plus assurance that things will turn out well. The dead are often spoken of as at peace, but they are not at peace unless they are actually alive and doing well. [00:02:01]

I am at peace about it, we say, and this means I'm no longer striving inwardly or outwardly to save some outcome dear to me or to avoid one that I reject. I have released whatever is at issue and am no longer even putting body English or spin on it or inwardly gritting my teeth. [00:02:28]

Most people carry heavy burdens of care, usually about the things that are most important in life: what will happen to their loved ones, their finances, health, death, their physical appearances, or what others think of them, the future of society, their standing before God, and their eternal destiny. [00:03:16]

To be at peace with God and others, family, neighbors, co-workers is a great attainment and depends on graces far beyond ourselves as well as on our own efforts. That is also true with being at peace with oneself. [00:03:39]

There is a beauty to acceptance that I think can lead to peace because at its deepest, when we start to accept what is true, we start to realize that we cannot control it. And so I think of a situation with a friend who recently lost someone that he really loved. [00:06:24]

It's very hard to immediately be at peace with death, but if I can start to work to accept this is what happened, I cannot change it, I can live with it and in it, and it's okay to feel all the emotions I'm feeling, then a strange sort of peace starts to come into my body. [00:07:00]

It's easy when you've grown up in the faith to feel like there are good emotions and there are bad emotions, and only certain of them lead to peace and so therefore the other ones, you know, I felt when I felt anxious I should reject, and there's a way to resist them, push them away. [00:07:20]

He talked about there's a vulnerability that you have to have before you can be at peace and I think that through line is what connects world peace and peace on a global scale, what connects interpersonal peace and what connects to deep personal peace. [00:08:16]

Maybe God is not as concerned that we get it right as he is with us receiving his love. So, the word for today is peace, and as you go through your day, when fear and worry come, don't push them away, don't try to resist them by willpower, acknowledge them. [00:09:45]

Welcome Rick Blackman talks about welcoming one of his clients named anxiety Wilma, welcome Wilma, and invite peace. Laura, thank you very much for doing this, would you do this again? I would do this again, thank you, thanks friends be at peace. [00:10:09]

And a lot of people hate that and I do sometimes because it feels a little awkward. Do you say hello just to the people that you know or do you greet the people that you don't know and are new and in COVID it's even weirder. There's peace on a large scale, world peace. [00:04:29]

When Dallas talks about peace comes from the acceptance of God's gift for us in his son, there is a beauty to acceptance that I think can lead to peace because at its deepest when we start to accept what is true, we start to realize that we cannot control it. [00:06:07]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?