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“Where there is peace, there is no fear.”

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, The Way of the Warrior (p. 27). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

There are so many things in our life that have the potential for us to be afraid.  I know for many it is the fear of war.

Erwin says, “Jesus said there would always be wars and rumors of war. (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7.)  History has sadly proven him right. All around us wars wage—nation against nation, tribe against tribe, people against people, brother against brother. Human history is like a fire out of control. It seems that violence will always rage and that peace will always elude us. Yet Jesus was equally convinced that he knew the way to peace and that peace would in the end stand as victory.

“For wars to end, there would have to be the end of violence.

“For violence to cease, there would have to be the end of hatred and greed.

“For hatred and greed to breathe their final breaths, forgiveness and generosity would have to take their places.”

He goes on, “Where there is peace, there is no fear. Where there is fear, there is no peace. So then the journey for peace begins within our hearts. This is why we must face our fears, stand in our pain, and walk courageously into the uncertainty and mystery of a better future.

“It may seem like a small thing, but when you get up in the morning and face your fears, you are participating in the redemption of the universe. When you refuse to allow yourself to be paralyzed by the uncertainty of tomorrow and set forth with courage and faith, you become part of creating a new world—a better world.”

He then says, “The peace that your soul longs for is the very peace the world needs. I cannot speak of peace and not speak of Jesus, for it is Jesus alone who leads us to the way of peace. The way of Jesus is the way of the warrior. It is Jesus who is the warrior of peace. There are not different kinds of peace, just different contexts where peace can be realized. When you have won the battle for inner peace, you now carry within you what the world desperately needs. It is only when you have inner peace that you can bring peace to a world at war with itself. The warrior fights for peace.”

So, will you stop and strive to face your fears and win the battle against your fears?  Will you remember that where there is fear there is no peace and where there is peace there is no fear and that Jesus alone leads us to the way of peace?  So will you turn and reach out to Jesus?  Will you confess your fears to Him and ask Him to give you inner peace?  Will you?

Yes, yes! 
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