Renounce Your Peace and Quiet

God lives and works today. The Bible calls Him the Lion of Judah and the Mighty Conqueror. His very name contains a wonderful promise for us all.

For in Him we too can become conquerors, victors over all the problems and struggles of everyday life. However, one thing is clear. There can't be a victory without a battle.

Today's meditation by Basilea Schlink called Renounce Your Peace and Quiet is about fighting to win. Renounce your peace and quiet. This goes for each one of us.

We're all inclined to take it easy, particularly when it comes to our spiritual life. But one day, a letter from Mother Basilea gave me the decisive help that I needed to shake me out of my spiritual sleepiness. Mother Basilea wrote the following to us, her spiritual daughters.

We are all prone to grow weary of fighting. The word battle doesn't suit us. We want to have our peace and quiet.

That's why scripture has to exhort us, in your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Hebrews 12 verse 4. We don't like fighting against the powers of darkness. We don't like fighting for Jesus' kingdom.

Why? Because battle inflicts wounds. Because battling entails hard work. But then, let us look at our Lord Jesus.

His whole life was a battle. A battle with the Pharisees who hated him. A battle with the demons whom he cast out.

A battle with his disciples who did not understand him. A battle with his chosen people who did not accept him. That's why our Lord Jesus is called the Lion of Judah.

He has fought the battle as no one else has. That's why his true church is also the church militant. The letter goes on to say, renounce your peace and quiet.

Yes, renounce your peace. Jesus said that he has not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. He gives us a sword.

We are to fight for him because we live in a world that is in danger, because Satan is trying to gain power over us. How could we possibly sit back and rest? We would grieve our Lord Jesus most deeply if we sought peace and quiet, if we grew tired of fighting. To grow tired of fighting is to leave Jesus in the lurch.

To be ready to fight is to stand at his side and to accompany him on his way. Whoever loves Jesus fights because he cannot bear to stand by and watch Satan, Jesus' enemy, gain power and invade Jesus' kingdom. Whoever loves Jesus will never grow tired of fighting.

Love gives us new energy. Love always makes us ready to give our time and energy because love, which is constantly fed by repentance, contains ardor, and ardor exerts itself in battle. So dedicate yourselves anew to battle.

So strive in faith that you will win, for Christ can conquer every sin. Christ's help means always victory. He stretches out his strong right hand.

A foe before him cannot stand, and they are all defeated. Alleluia! Alleluia! You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org.

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