Day 13, GIFT #13 - Give the gift of peace

Today, give peace to others

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Rom. 14:19)

Peace is third of the nine spiritual fruits that the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of born again believers. (See Gal. 5:22-23). God produces this fruit in you to be shared with others.

The perfect picture of peace

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.

The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.

As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.

A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.

A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. - Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.

About personal peace

Duke University did a study on the factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability (personal peace) are:

• The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.
• Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
• Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
• Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
• Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
• Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love, humor, compassion and loyalty.
• Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
• Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness. - Source Unknown.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt 5:9)