"Peace at the Center"

A reporter asked the late President Herbert Hoover, “Mr. President, how do you handle criticism?  Do you ever get agitated or tense?”

“No,” President Hoover replied, seemingly surprised at the question, “of course not.”

“But,” the reporter went on, “when I was a boy you were one of the most popular men in the world.  Then, for a while you became one of the most unpopular, with nearly everyone against you.  Didn’t any of this meanness and criticism ever get under your skin?”

“No, I knew when I went into politics what I might expect, so when it came I wasn’t disappointed or upset,” he said.  He lowered his familiar bushy eyebrows and looked directly into the reporter’s eyes.  “Besides,” he added, “I have peace at the center, you know.”

This “peace at the center” is one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life. The Apostle Paul wrote of this peace; he called it: “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

Because of sin, we are enemies of God, who is pure, righteous and holy.  James stated:  "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world [i.e., with the worldly, sinful things of the world] is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4).
The most wonderful news of all, however, is that because of His love for us, "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we may be reconciled to God (Romans 5:10).  On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sin, making available the means to be reconciled to God.  

We are reconciled to God through Christ when by faith (Hebrews 11:6), 
we repent of our sins (Acts 17:30-31), confess Christ before men (Romans 10:9-10) and are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38). 

Having accepted the terms of peace, we may rejoice in our reconciliation with God through Christ!  "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

Once we have made peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, THEN we are able to have peace with others and peace within ourselves, even in the most difficult circumstances.

Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that IN ME you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Edward H. Bickersteth summarized beautifully the wonderful peace that is found in Christ with these words:

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin:
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

God bless you!

David A. Sargent, Minister 

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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