It's been a while since I've heard a message that I felt was written directly towards me so I guess I was overdue for a hard-hitter. I want to share my notes from a sermon I heard tonight by Ray West with you all.
The title was "Enemies of Inner Peace" and Ray opened with a verse from Colossians.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:15 NKJ
There are a lot of people, including Christians, who struggle with finding peace. With the stresses of the world upon us, it's hard to feel optimistic about much of anything. It seems like there is so much to worry about (financial struggles, elderly parents, pleasing our boss, marriage issues, raising children, spiritual wellness) that it can be frustrating and seem down right impossible to feel stress-free and peaceful. Not to mention that watching the news every morning can make you feel like the earth is doomed. Ray gave us 5 trouble areas that can keep us from finding that peace that we all hope for.
Materialism
So at this point in the sermon I'm thinking "Ok, this is going to be the one that applies to me", but little did I know, they would all apply to me. Materialism is an enemy of peace because the more we have, the more we want. In Ecclesiastes we're told:
He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, Nor he who loves abundance with increase. This is also vanity. Ecclesiastes 5:10 NKJ
The Bible talks a lot about materialism and possessions. In fact, it's so important that there are not one, but two commandments about it: Thou shall not steal and Thou shall not covet. Both commandments are for our own good. We should love God and have so much faith in Him, that we are completely content with what we have. Not to mention, no matter what we acquire here won't go with us once we die. We can't take our car, our boat, our house, our wardrobe, our diamonds, or anything we possess.
"..for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Luke 12:15 NKJ
I struggle with this because while I don't necessarily have to have a new car or the biggest house, any time we get an invitation in the mail to a wedding or event, my immediate thought is that I have to go out and buy a new outfit. Clothes, shoes, jewelry and makeup are my weakness. I have no problem spending $28 on mascara or justifying a new dress when I could really use that money for something else. If I wasn't so worried about how I look or how other people see or think about me, I could be happy with who I am no matter what I'm wearing, thus resulting in peace inside and out. Our lives aren't going to be measured by what we have, but who we are. Money doesn't equal happiness, no matter what society tells us.
Dualism
This one goes hand in hand with materialism. Ray referenced Matthew for this one.
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24 NKJ
Often times, we find ourselves being pulled in so many different directions. The need to be accepted, liked and loved can make us do things that if we were truly committed to God, we wouldn't normally do. For me, my dualism is that while I love God, I'm also a people pleaser and often take on more than I can handle. This goes back to the need to be accepted and being worried about what people think of me. I have a big problem saying "yes" to things when I know I can't do it all or that I'll be stretched too thin. If I wasn't so worried about upsetting someone or letting someone down, I could do a few things really well, instead of doing so many things and just being average at them or not giving them the time and attention they deserve. If I practiced saying no more, I would have more time to spend with God doing things I know he wants me to, leaving me less stressed and having a little more peace.
Infantilism/Childish
I wasn't quite sure what Ray meant at first about this one until he said this:
Infantilism is frustrated adult people stamping their feet at the showcase of life.
Now I get it. The older I get the more I am surprised at how immature adults really are. At the workplace, in the home, at church. It amazes me that adults, especially ones who are supposedly Christians can argue and hold grudges the way that we do. Often times, the issue that is being argued over is truly not that big of a deal, but the pride gets in our way and we just can't bare to let someone else have the last word.
In his letter to the church of Corinth, Paul writes that he couldn't discuss deep spiritual lessons and truths with them because they were still spiritually immature.
... For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? Luke 3:3 NKJ
The best way I can think to apply this to my life is within the church. There have been several times where a church member has made a comment to me or I've heard from someone else that there was a complaint about the sound or visuals during the service and I am so quick to become defensive and write that person off. So much so, that I replay their comment in my head over and over again, and create the best comeback that I can, and I promise myself that the next time I see that person, I'm gonna let them have it. Y'all, that is so childish. And petty. And so not Christ-like. If we could see past our preferences, opinions and just plain ugliness, we could really get some things accomplished.
Narcissism
Narcissism is defined as
excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance. In the age of Instagram and selfie-sticks, it's so easy to be wrapped up with our appearance. Why does it feel so good when we get so many likes on a Facebook post? Society and culture tell us that we are defined by how others see us. We've become so preoccupied with our outside appearance and status, that we'll quickly put our values and morals to the side for another retweet or like on Insta. And once we have those likes and that approval, we level-up and are better than the people we left behind. We are so hungry for that attention and reaffirmation that we're good enough or pretty enough, that we have no problem ranking others as lower or higher than we are. Romans 12:3 warns us about measuring ourselves against others.
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 NKJ
The only thing we should measure ourselves against is God, and we will always fall short. But because of his grace that we have been given ,we can be at peace knowing that we are exactly who God made us to be, no matter how many followers or friends we have.
Perfectionism
Ray called this the worst one of all. Perfectionism is emotionally unhealthy and spiritually damaging. Not only does the need to be perfect or do all things perfectly cause us major stress and anxiety, but it says that we don't need God or His forgiveness. We have to understand that we are not perfect and never will be, which is why Jesus saved us from our sins. We are who God made us, flaws and all, for a reason. All of our flaws and imperfections make up the most unique, perfect recipe for you, and if you change the ingredients, you're no longer the person that God intended for you to be.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8 NKJ
So as I sit here, listening to Tanner yell "AND 1!" at Game 7, watching our new kitten play in the floor, and watching our first cat watching the new kitten that she's still not so sure about, I'm thinking about how peaceful it is. Because while there are a million things I could be worried about (work tomorrow, the dreaded Monday, what I'm going to wear, the next tragedy that will strike America) I'm going to try really hard to just be at peace, with no makeup on, God as my one and only, hopefully a maturing spirituality, a big slice of humble pie and trying to let go of the anxiety that there is a large possibility I've made a spelling or grammatical error in this rambling of a post.
Thanks for reading.
