Peace on Earth

Hebrews 3:18,19 To whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

 I broke a bike chain last summer. I did not know how to fix it, but the guy on the internet video made it look annoyingly easy, so, I bought a five-dollar kit and set out to fix my bike chain. An hour later, covered in grease, I was angry, agitated and frustrated. I watched the video and tried again and again to fix it, with no success. Only after I took the bike to the bike shop, did I learn that I was never going to fix the chain on my own as I had the wrong size parts.

The bike chain experience was a microcosm of my addiction. In my addiction, I knew only agitation and angst. Constantly fearful of discovery, withdrawal and consequences, yet never being able to stop, I knew only unrest and anxiety. I needed sobriety, but thought I could find it without actually changing anything. Only when I was forced to get help did I see that I was never going to get clean without radical obedience. Insisting on my way led to nothing but unrest and anxiety.

In my turmoil, I begged God for his peace but could not find it as long as I continue in my addiction. Today’s passage explains how God’s peace comes only with obedience. As I remained unwilling to do anything to change, I could never know God’s rest. Not until I was willing to confess, go to treatment and endure the pain of transformation, was I able to experience the peace of God.

I believed in God and wanted His comfort, but I was unwilling to obey and follow Him. In this state, I was, as with my bike chain, attempting the impossible. I was never going to find the peace of God until I changed directions and obeyed Him.