If ye love me keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth... but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:15-18
Christ, knowing that He would soon be leaving His mortal walk with the disciples, assured them that He would not leave them comfortless. In these verses, He teaches them that if they will keep His commandments, the Holy Ghost will abide with them just as the Savior had done during His mortal ministry. Further, He promised the additional blessing of having the Comforter to dwell in them. Think of the added strength that could come because of this internal companionship.
In later verses He explained that
"...the Holy Ghost... shall teach you all things... Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 14:26-27
What does the Savior's peace look like? Think of the constant struggle and opposition Christ faced in His day to day walk. Nothing came easily for Him, yet He had peace so pure and precious, that He desired it for His most faithful followers. The peace which emanated from the core of His being was the fruit of His relationship with the Father. He sought the Father's will, and despite it's extreme difficulty, executed it perfectly. The formula for "His" peace is learning the will of God and doing it.
Today in Sunday School we discussed the book of Colossians. In the third chapter, Paul furthers Christ's invitation to receive the Holy Ghost.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts... and be ye thankful
Colossians 3:15
Like God's love, His peace is constant and unwavering. Our ability to receive and access these precious gifts; however, can be variable. The foundational principle to "letting" either of these gifts into our hearts is obedience. When we keep God's law our hearts are open and ready to receive. We demonstrate trust that His ways are best. This trust leads to desire to have His will made manifest in our lives. This desire leads to us to seek out His will. Through the Holy Ghost He not only whispers direction to our mind and heart, but He endows us with courage and power to meet the task head on. I am so grateful for the strength and peace which come through this heavenly companion.
At church today, two different women spoke about the gift of the Holy Ghost. Both offered new insights which were profound and thought provoking for me. The first sister said "Satan can duplicate a lot of things... but the one thing he can't is the peace that comes through the Holy Ghost." The second said, "The Holy Ghost whispers because he is close enough for you to hear him if you are listening. He isn't across the room... He is with you."
I LOVE these truths. I LOVE that God loves us enough to provide a constant companion who gives us access to Him. I LOVE that He respects me enough to let me choose if I will "let" Him in or not. He is never pushy or overbearing, but rather, the perfect example of how a tender parent LOVES and respects His children. I feel blessed beyond measure (sounds cliche... but I mean it sincerely) to have all of the guidance I will receive in my walk through mortality. What a gift it is to walk with the Savior!
I think it's important to remember that Satan can counterfeit the feeling of the Spirit...so that the feeling a person gets when under the influence of drugs or alcohol or even food (I know because I've felt it with food) does indeed feel like a wave of "peace." The problem with all counterfeits, however, is that they are not real, and the "benefits" are very short-lived. The Savior's gift is the CONSTANT companionship of the Holy Ghost.
ReplyDeleteKim thank you SO much for sharing your insight. I appreciate the opportunity to think deeper and seek a little more clarity:)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Satan is the master counterfeiter. However, with all of his counterfeits there are characteristics which help us to differentiate and distinguish between the fruits of God and the fruits of the devil.
The "wave of peace" felt when getting a fix is filled with scarcity. In that moment of desperation and then relief, the soul can't help but recognize the fleeting nature of the moment. Deep within there is recognition that emptiness will follow and that they will have to come back for more.
The peace that comes through the spirit on the other hand is one that typically comes after a period of patient seeking. As I receive affirmation through the sense of peace the spirit distills... there is a feeling of calm, fulness and security which Satan can not counterfeit.
Penny for your thoughts...