How to Be at Peace in Troubled Times

The Bible says there will be terrible times in the last days before Jesus returns. People will be selfish, lovers of money, arrogant, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God and children will be disobedient to their parents. 2Timothy 3:1-5. Many people feel that there has been a moral decline in our society during our lifetime. Fifty years ago children didn't attack teachers. Fifty years ago drugs were something that happened in a small sub culture but they seem to effect everyone now. Politicians are no longer people of honesty and integrity and the number of scandals is increasing.

What does Jesus say to people living in difficult times? In this world you will have trouble but he has overcome the world. John 16:33. Do not conform to the pattern of this corrupt world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you can understand how God wants you to live. Romans 12:1,2. Jesus warned us not to let our hearts be troubled. This life isn't all there is. He has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us. We can look forward to a time when Jesus will come back to take us to be with him. John 14:1-3.

In a troubled world we can live at peace with others. We should be slow to become angry and careful how we speak. James 1:19,20. We should be patient and forgiving not letting one day's anger go over into the next. Ephesians 4:25-32. Much of the anxiety we feel comes from the desire to pay back wrong for wrong. Psychologists say that depression is repressed anger. We should leave the punishment of the sinner to God. God will judge the world. We should never pay back evil for evil but live at peace with everyone. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Romans 12:17-20. As Christians we should love because God first loved us. Jesus gave his life for us and we should have the same attitude to others. If anyone does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen? 1John 4:19-21. As Christians we are commanded to love one another. All men will know we are Christ's disciples if we love one another. John 13:34,35.

Daniel lived under an oppressive government. The nation of Israel had been invaded and the people had been taken captive to Babylon. Daniel and his friends were forced to be called by Babylonian names. Daniel was called Belteshazzar. They were forced to eat meat sacrificed to pagan gods or from animals that were unclean according to Jewish ceremonial law. Daniel objected to eating this meat and refused to drink wine. The commander of the officials was concerned about Daniel's welfare. Daniel said he and his friends would eat vegetables and drink water for ten days and then the commander would examine their appearance. At the end of those ten days they were fatter and healthier than the other men. God blessed them with knowledge and intelligence, particularly Daniel, who could interpret visions and dreams. They entered the king's personal service. Daniel 1. Eventually the only thing that anyone could find to bring an accusation against Daniel was his devotion to God. The king's commissioners became jealous of Daniel because Daniel had distinguished himself as having a tremendous spirit of wisdom and the king intended to appoint him over the whole kingdom. They knew that Daniel prayed several times a day so they persuaded the king to make a law that anyone who prayed to any other God would be thrown into the lions' den. The king was distressed when he discovered that Daniel was still praying to his God but the law could not be revoked. The king had Daniel put into the lions' den telling Daniel that the God that he serves will deliver him. Early the next morning Daniel was brought out of the lions' den unharmed. Daniel 6.

We must be faithful to our principles in the same way that Daniel refused to eat the king's food. We should be model citizens. Like Daniel we should try to excel at everything we do. We should be above criticism. We should pray for our leaders. The apostle Paul says that prayer should be made for kings and rulers and those in authority that we might lead a peaceful life. 1Timothy 2:1-4. We should do this whether we agree with the government or not. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. We should not be afraid even if the mountains crash into the sea. There is a river that makes glad the city of God. God is in our midst, we will not be moved, when the morning comes he will help us. One day Jesus will come to rule on this earth and will set it to rights. In the meantime, we are still aware of his presence and power. Psalm 46.

We are to be shining lights in a crooked and depraved generation, holding out the word of God. Philippians 2:12-16. We are to be peacemakers, kind hearted, humble in spirit, not paying back wrong for wrong but blessing. 1Peter 3:8-12. The Christian must be patient and not quarrelsome, correcting people gently when opposed, hoping that God might eventually bring them to a realisation of the truth. Jesus entered a village that did not welcome him. The chances are that he was met with a great deal of abuse and hostility. He was unable to stay in the village or even to minister there. John and James reacted to this very violently by asking if they should call down fire from Heaven to consume the villagers. This must have happened in the context of Jesus being repeatedly verbally abused or even physically assaulted. Jesus was not simply being politely ignored. If the reaction to Jesus' presence had been anything less than severe harassment, he would have remained in the village. Jesus rebuked John and James and said, 'No, the Son of Man came to save people's lives, not to destroy them.' They peacefully went to another village. Luke 9:51-56. 

We are commanded not to be quarrelsome but to correct people gently in the hope that God might lead them to the truth. 2Timothy 2:24-26. We have to remember that the people around us are held captive by the devil. It is not their fault that they are unable to understand the things of God. The devil has blinded them. 2Corinthians 4:3,4. Ephesians 4:17-19. Jesus was patient with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Jewish teacher who came to Jesus at night because he didn't want to be seen. Nicodemus didn't know what Jesus meant by being born again. How could a man return to his mother's womb to be born a second time? Jesus patiently explained that he meant to be born of the Spirit. John 3:1-12. Jesus sat down next to a Samaritan woman who was drawing water from a well and asked for a drink. At that time Jews did not associate with Samaritans. Jesus wanted to break through the racial divisions of the culture at that time. Jesus talked about the water of life. The woman didn't understand him. He patiently tried to explain that he was the Messiah. Jesus told the woman she had had five husbands. He didn't get angry with her because of this. She went to tell her friends, 'Come and meet someone who told me everything I ever did,' and they all came to meet him. John 4:7-30.

We need to be at peace with other people in the church. People who are very gifted Christians shouldn't consider themselves to be more important than anyone else. There should be no lording it over other people and no pride or arrogance. Those who exercise a gift should do so for the benefit of the rest of the church. If you are teaching then teach. If you are serving and giving practical help then serve. But no one should think they are better than anybody else. Just because you're a brilliant Bible scholar doesn't make you superior. Romans 12:3-8. The church is a body. There are parts of the body that we consider less exciting or less glamorous but we would be lost without them. Our eyes and hands are obviously important but so are our bowels. 1Corinthians 12. The glue that binds the church together is brotherly love. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not boast. It is not arrogant. It is not proud, easily angered, bossy or rude. 1Corinthians 13.