I'm peaceful

I can remember when I served as a chaplain at the Medium Security
institution in St. Louis, Missouri. I was working for Lutheran
Ministries Association, which was a ministry of The Lutheran Church-
Missouri Synod.

As chaplain, it had been my custom from time to time to visit with the
inmates in their dorms. I can remember one visit, it was a hot August
afternoon, and it since the area was not air conditioned, it was quite
uncomfortable. The dorm that I had visited was greatly overcrowded and
the inmates were rowdy and there was much noise and chaos. The place
was anything but peaceful.

As I watched all of this taking place, I noticed one inmate standing
quietly by the bars waiting to speak with me. His name was P.J. and
he was seventeen years old. I asked him; "How's it going?" P.J.
answered; "I'm peaceful." I looked around at all that was going on
and asked; "How can you be peaceful with all this going on, and with
what you're going through?" P.J. calmly replied; "I'm peaceful
because Jesus is with me."

Later that day, I thought about what P.J. had said. His words caused
me to think about what it means to be peaceful. There are many people
who are seeking peace in their lives. Many are living lives that are
full of turmoil and pain, they want peace and happiness, and to be
free of the hurt.

Some people try to find their peace in the material things of this
world, in money, in their careers, and in family and friends. Others
turn to drugs and alcohol, thinking that these will numb the pain
and give them peace. All these offer temporary escape, but no lasting
peace. The peace that the world offers is but fleeting and not lasting.

I am reminded of the words from the Scriptures that read:

"And the peace of God, which surpasses
all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus."(Phil. 4:7)

The peace of Jesus is a peace that surrounds and guards the hearts and
minds of those who trust and believe in him. This peace gives both
strength and hope even through the darkest of times.

The peace that Jesus gives is far different than that the world offers.
The world's ideas of peace are built upon the words and actions of
people, and will quickly pass away. Jesus himself said:"Peace I leave you. My peace I give to you; not as
the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled
neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)The peace that Jesus
offers does not pass away. This peace strengthens and gives hope
through the darkest days and the most trying times. We are not
promised that we will be free of troubles; they will come. What
Jesus says is that you don't have to be afraid, you have both
his presence and his peace.

This peace will affect the ways that people of Christ live their
lives. Yes, troubles and sorrows will come; these will not disturb
that peace that Christ gives. This peace will see the saints through
the hard times. The one who trusts in Christ will find perfect
peace. The Prophet Isaiah wrote: "You will keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on you. Because he trusts in you."(Isaiah 26:3)

Those who believe will have their joys and sorrows just like everyone
else. Life will certainly have it's share of challenges. Yet through
it all, the saints need not fear. Trust in the Savior and say: "I'm peaceful."


By Michael Carter
For the collection:Pressing on in hope.

A purpose for life.

John had been in an alcohol recovery program for over am month. Even
though he had quit drinking, his past demons still haunted him. He
now had to look at his life and face the challenges without the
alcohol. He had to discover his life's purpose and figure out what
to do with his life. This terrified him. It terrified him because he
was not sure what the purpose of his life was. He had allowed the
alcohol to control his life. Now, he had to face life without it.
During a meeting with his support group, he cried out; "I don't
know what my purpose in life is!" There are many people who have
struggled with this. Many people have found themselves saying the
very same thing. "I don't know what my purpose is!"

A motivational speaker asked this question; "What is the richest
place on earth?" He then said; "The cemetery. It is full of people
with unfulfilled dreams and goals." Is there a purpose for our lives?
Do we live our lives with purpose, or do we just exist? Do you have
dreams and goals that you'd like to work towards? Is there a purpose
for life, and if so, how do we discover it? How do we make meaning
out of our lives and follow our dreams?

There are people who spend their entire lives trying to understand
their purpose in life. Some figure it out. There are others who
ask: "Why am I here? What is my purpose?" What steps do people
take to discover their potential? Every person has potential and
promise. Each person has been blessed by the Creator with gifts
and talents that are to be discovered, developed, and used.
How do people find their gift and their purpose? For each person,
the process is different. The truth is; each person has potential
and a purpose. The challenge is discovering our gifts and how
best to use our God-given gifts.

There are people who struggle with finding meaning and purpose
for their lives. They've had many setbacks and struggles in
their lives. They may have been put down by others and been
told that they're losers. Their self-esteem has been crushed,
and they might see their lives as a waste. Some people believe
that they'll amount to anything so they fall into the pit of
substance abuse, or they run with a bad crowd, and this leads
to other self-destructive behavior.

The journey through this life is not always easy, and certainly
there will be those times when people will doubt their self worth.
The world can be a harsh place and fitting in according to it's
standards can be frustrating. If we follow the opinions and attitudes
of the world, then it will be hard to find lasting purpose
and meaning for life.

GOD'S PLAN AND PURPOSE

Someone might ask: "Does God care about me? What is his purpose for me?"
The answer to these questions is this; God does care for each
one of us, and he does have a purpose for us. He knows and directs
the course of our lives. He will show the purposes for each and
everyone of us. God does have a plan and purpose for you. You
might not see it at the time, but be patient, God will make
it all clear in his own time.

As we think about God's plan and purpose, let us look to the
Scriptures. In his dealings with the children of Israel, God
often told them of his plans for them. Even though they were
often rebellious, God still had a plan and a purpose for them.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God declared;

"For I Know the thoughts that
I think towards you, say the Lord, thoughts of peace
and not evil, to give you future and a hope."

God knows without a doubt what he has in store for us. He
knows his thoughts towards us. These thoughts are for our
welfare and blessing. He does not seek to harm us. He wants
us to have peace. This is a lasting peace that comes
through faith in Christ.

God wants to give us hope. This was the theme of a recent
presidential campaign. There was much said about restoring
hope. Yet this is a worldly hope that is uncertain.
Christian hope is certain; it is built upon Jesus Christ.
He is the one who gives peace and lasting hope. He is the
one who gives life both meaning and purpose.

God wants to give us a future. We do not know what the future
holds. We do know whose hand is leading and guiding us. The
future of the believer is with Jesus in eternity. Each day
is a day to walk in the Lord. The believer's purpose for
each day is to love and to serve the Lord.

Those who trust in the Lord Jesus know that at the end of the
journey, there will be a glorious future with him. Jesus
opened the Kingdom of heaven through his death and resurrection.
This blessed knowledge strengthens faith, and helps us to
press on as we discover our purpose here on earth. God's
plan and purpose for each of us will come to pass. Through
faith in Jesus Christ, we can have hope in this life, and
a glorious future in the life to come.

WHAT THEN, IS OUR PURPOSE?

This is still a question that people ask. Some still want to
know what their purpose is. God created us to live to him
and to serve him. He created us to be of service to each other.
Believers are to remember that they have been saved and redeemed
by Christ Jesus. Each believer has been blessed by the Holy
Spirit with gifts to be of service to Christ and to others.

There is both a purpose and meaning to our lives. Nobody is
a "loser" or is "washed up." People have promise and potential
that needs to be discoverd, developed, and used. Once you
discover and develop your God-given talents, then you'll
see that life does have meaning. Christ Jesus is the one
who gives a purpose for life.

-Michael Carter

For the collection-"Pressing on in hope."