Grace and Peace

Paul introduces all his letters with the salutation of grace and peace. Both are necessary spheres of influence in our Christian walk. The more deeply I understand the grace of God and its enabling power in my life, the more intimate is my relationship with the God of all grace. The more I understand the unmerited favor He has lavished on me in redeeming me, and the more I recognize the unmerited grace He continues to strengthen me with in my daily walk, the deeper my love for Him and dependence on Him becomes. And remember, the more I love Him, the more fully I obey Him with a thankful heart. The more I depend on Him, the more readily His power works through me. The one who finds obedience and praise difficult is the one who fails to grasp the infinite grace of God. That failure, of course, is rooted in pride.
The more deeply I experience the peace of God, the more diligent I am to face each trial or disappointment with confidence. When the difficulties of life are confronted with the peace of God reigning in a believer's heart, it's not a fair contest. The peace of God overcomes the world every time. The peace of God is the fortress in which God protects His children from the tribulations of the world. "In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." A lack of peace means that someone is trying to face the difficulties of life in one's own strength and wisdom. Their lives proclaim that they don't believe that God has the strength and wisdom to accomplish His perfect love immersed will. That attitude, of course, is rooted in pride.
Pride, the greatest lust of the flesh, brings us more heartache than the circumstances themselves bring us. In our own power we fail miserably, and the glory of God is hidden. In our own wisdom we make choices that only prove that we are even dumber than we imagined. Pride, love of self, is deadly. Humbling yourself before the God of unfailing wisdom and trusting His will is the only cure for pride. Draw near to Him, resist the devil, confess and mourn your sin, and God will forgive and empower. Persist in your delusion that you know better than He does what is necessary in your own life and in the world at large, and He will do the humbling. His grace is infinite and His peace invincible. Live daily in the spheres of grace and peace. Rest in Him. Remember that quote? "God is too loving to be unkind and too wise to make a mistake." Our God is omnipotent love.