Acknowledge your Lack

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” - Jesus Christ

Peace is an elusive state of being.  No matter how you slice it, peace is hard to come by.  Whether it be peace between nations, peace and quiet, peace between families, inward peace, and outward peace, peace is hard to find.  Happiness is not as difficult to obtain, although hard to maintain, but when it comes down to it……..If you’re living in disobedience to God you can rule out ever having true: love, joy, peace, and contentment. 

Personally, I believe that these are the four things the whole world is looking for, even though sometimes they don’t even know it (to broad a statement?.........Perhaps).  Stop and consider this for a moment.  Why do movie stars commit suicide?  Why do rock stars overdose on reality altering drugs?  Words like: lonely, rejected, unsettled, discontent, depressed, bound, enslaved come to my mind; “supposing that gain is Godliness” (1 Tim 6:5).  Ask yourself, how can some people be loved by the whole world and still feel lonely and unloved?  My opinion is that true: peace, love, joy, and contentment does and will not come from without, but from within. 

This is a widely accepted notion: hence the popularity of yoga, meditation books, and self-help guides geared toward disciplining the mind and inward self.  However, what these practices fail to emphasize is that true peace cannot come from a recognition of your ability or merit, it is quite the opposite, it comes from a recognition of you inability.  It comes from a genuine realization of your complete lack, and an earnest recognition of your immediate need for God, just God, no-one else, nothing else, God, only God.  Perhaps where Satan finds his surest ground is deep down in the heart and mind of a man that says: “I am the master of my own destiny, and I can do better.”  The biggest theology that is levying the flood of revival is “TRY”.  We say within ourselves we must: Try harder, try more, try this, try that, try to do better, try, try, and keep trying, YOU can do it.  This idea of educating and advancing yourself out of your own carnality is idiotic.  We can no more advance and “work” our way out of our natural, sinful desires, than a dog could out of his want to chase a cat.   Trying to “will” our way past our own carnal mind is like being caught in quick sand, the effort and ability only serves to draw you deeper and deeper……Very simple WE NEED A SAVIOR.  If you find yourself slave to your own selfish desire, do not despair, there is a Savior; and he can save completely.

This is where true peace is found.  In the earnest recognition that you cannot will your way past you’re bent to do wrong, and you must “die out” to yourself and be “risen” with Christ.  You must recognize your lack and cry out “Lord, I am sinking, save me.”  When this is done the mighty hand of God will lift you out and put you upon a firm foundation.  That inward foundation that produces perfect peace is a pure heart and a spiritual mind.  It is the uninhibited communion with the Father.  When we embrace our lack and constantly lean on Jesus, allowing him too wholly and completely guide our lives, we then find:

Love, Joy, Peace, and Contentment (and so much more).

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” – Romans 8: 6

Any thoughts on the matter?  Please reply to pgcollins65@gmail.com