| The Best Things in Life |
Chapter 4 |
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St. Paul exhorts us to let peace rule in our hearts. A marginal reading suggests another rendering – “Let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts.” It is to sit on the throne and have undisputed sway in our life. When, in the circumstances of any day, things arise which naturally would trouble us, break into the calm and composure of our hearts, peace is to sit as arbiter, settling all conflicts of feeling, and bringing all strifes and differences to quiet adjustment.
We are exhorted to let this peace rule. So we can hinder its ruling if we will. It cannot rule unless we let it. We have the same truth everywhere in the Bible – nothing can enter our heart and have sway there, unless we let it. Christ stands at the door; he wants to enter to bless us, but we have to let him in. He will never lift the latch of the door with his own hand. “If any man opens the door, I will come in.” So it is with peace. It seeks to enter our hearts, and wants to rule there, but it will not force its way in. We must let it rule.
Sometimes people are discouraged when they find how high is the ideal of Christian life in this matter of peace. We must remember, however, that while the ideal is high, the attainment is always progressive. No one begins with the accomplished ideal. Peace is a lesson which has to be learned, and learned slowly. In our Lord’s wonderful promise he says he will give rest to all who come to him – rest as an immediate gift. Then he says, farther on, that if we will take his yoke upon us and learn of him we shall find rest. The full and complete rest has to be learned. We must enter Christ’s school. We must accept his training and disciple. The same is true of Christ’s peace. When we begin, we find it impossible to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts fully and continually. We go stumbling on our way, making many mistakes. It takes years to reach the complete standard. But there should be growth every day. Ruskin, in speaking of Christian growth, has this suggestive sentence, “He only is advancing in life whose heart is growing softer, whose blood warmer, whose brain quicker, and whose spirit is entering into loving peace.” The growing spirit is one that is entering more and more fully into peace.
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