Cultivating a Heart of PeaceSample

Experiencing Peace in Community

In this reading plan, we have explored three practices from the Way of Jesus that allow God to transform our worry, fear, and doubt into peace. Peace that is not dependent on circumstances. Peace that is characterized by surrender, not control. And peace that we can experience on a soul level.

God can and will use our commitment to practicing being present to the moment to cultivate peace in our hearts. In quiet solitude with Jesus, we are invited into an interactive and intimate encounter with our Lord. In this place, the worry, fear, and doubt that have taken up residence in our minds are slowly pushed out and replaced by the Truth as we meditate day and night on the Word of God. Here, the Holy Spirit invites us to put into practice the words of the Apostle Peter who wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (See 1 Peter 5:7 NRSV)

However, as crucial as practices like being present to the moment, solitude & silence, and meditating on God's Word are to allowing God to cultivate peace in our lives, they were never meant to be observed apart from the body of Christ.

Living in community with other followers of Jesus is the necessary counterbalance to our own personal devotional time with Jesus. Truly, solitude and community are two sides of the same coin. When we fall into the trap of practicing one without the other, we run the risk of becoming a great danger to ourselves and others.

Proverbs 27:17 NRSV says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another." The wisdom found in this proverb invites us to overcome three common stumbling blocks that prevent us from engaging in community: our tendency to compare ourselves to others, our fear of rejection, and our fear of being misunderstood.

As we gather with other believers, we are given the opportunity to take a step of faith, choosing to be vulnerable with one another about the transformation God is working in our lives. In community, we acknowledge our weakness and utter dependence on God. The Truth is that my understanding of God and His ways is woefully incomplete. I have blind spots, which, by definition, I am unaware of. In community, I am reminded of my need for the wisdom God has so graciously given to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

As we conclude this reading plan, take a moment to reflect on the following questions in prayer.

Where do you long to experience the peace of God in your relationships? In your home? Your workplace? Your neighborhood? Your Church?

What would it look like for you to seek out and engage in community with other followers of Jesus as a means of allowing the Holy Spirit to exchange your worry, fear, and doubt for peace?

How might God want to use your willingness to be vulnerable to bring about healing for others in your faith community in the area of worry, fear, and doubt?

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