If you have seen the movie Unbroken or read the book of the same name, even if you haven’t, I want to recommend a movie called Unbroken: Path to Redemption. (https://unbrokenfilm.com/movie). It picks up the story of Louis Zamperini, former Olympian and World War II plane crash and Japanese prison camp survivor, where the movie Unbroken left off. Louis had survived a great deal, but the truth is that Louis did not come home unbroken. He was broken on the inside and was experiencing the ravages of his own war within. Unforgiveness, anger and fear tormented him. He was unable to find contentment. Nothing was right inside of him. The continual unrest was destroying his relationships and his marriage as well as his physical and mental health as he turned to alcohol to numb his pain. His war raged on and he couldn’t escape it. Even in sleep he was tormented by nightmares of all that he had endured. The seemingly unbroken war hero was headed toward destruction as alcohol took more and more ground in his life. He was helpless and without hope. Then something happened that brought a ceasefire to the battles within.
What was it that finally ended the war for Louis and brought hiim peace? The Japanaese had surrendered. World War II was over, but Louis’s conflict had continued. The love of his family and his wife could not end his war of pain. Hours of drinking could not silence the memories or calm the anger. Unbelievable, unforgiving plans to go to Japan to find and kill the guard who had most tormented him could not end that combat. That war ended the night he heard a preacher in Los Angeles named Billy Graham share the good news of God’s love for him. At his moment of repentance the war ended and everything changed. Louis’s life was never the same. He had peace. He poured all his alcohol down the sink and never took another drop. He enjoyed a nightmare-free rest for the first time since he had come home and never had another nightmare. He forgave his captors. His marriage was restored. Louis spent the rest of his life serving others and testifying to the good news of God’s grace in his life.
So, Louis finally experienced peace. What is peace? The absence of war? Obviously, that can’t be the definition. Why is peace so illusive for so many of us? Even when there are no obvious problems in our lives we can struggle for that sense that all is right. We can go our whole life without ever really being at peace. Yet, Jesus said that He left us with His peace. (John 14: 27) In fact, several times after His resurrection His greeting to the disciples was “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19,21,26) So what does all that mean and how can you and I experience the peace that Jesus gives?
We probably know what peace doesn’t look like. Agitation. Fear. Anger. Stress. No surprise in what peace does not look like. But what does peace look like and how can I access the peace that God gives? For Louis it started with repentance and surrender. Maybe it can start for you and me the same way.
Even though I had my first moment of repentance and surrender about 40 years ago it doesn’t mean that I have never struggled again. There have been times that I have let circumstances rob me of the peace that Jesus left me with. I have had my own internal war as I tried to cope with circumstances in my own life. What takes away our peace? What distracts us from the peace that Jesus gives? Isn’t it ultimately our own desire to control situations and make them turn out the way we think they should? In those moments, Jesus has whispered peace to me through His word. My kids were going on a mission trip and I was worried about how they would respond to the challenges ahead when I could not be there to comfort and guide them. God encouraged me through Isaiah 54:13 that He would be there to comfort and guide them. He would teach them. I was fretting over a situation in my life that just did not seem to be resolving and He told me “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him to act.” (Psalm 37:7) Time after time when I have had my own inner battles the promises of God have led me back to the repentance and surrender that opened the door to peace. “God, forgive me for not trusting You with this. You are God and I am not. I will rest in You.”
Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. I like to define the fruit of the Holy Spirit as the evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in a life. Peace results when I rest in God. My choice to rest in Him allows the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of peace in me. That’s what happened for Louis and it can happen for you and me as well. The evidence that the Holy Spirit had come into Louis Zamperini’s life and had begun to change him was peace.
Dear friend, what is your internal war? What is robbing you of peace? Is it worry or unforgiveness? Fear or anger? There is only one way for that war to end: Repentance and surrender. It’s time for a truce. Today is the day for that war to end.
Key thought: Peace results when I rest in God.
A Scripture to consider: “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV
A YES Challenge: Take some time with God to talk about the things that are robbing you of peace. Write down the situation on a piece of paper. Repent of your desire to control the situation and surrender it into God’s hand. Then take that paper and burn it or tear it up as a tangible expression of trust in God.
Prayer: Father, I am tired of my internal battles. I really want to experience the peace that You give, but I can’t seem to get ahold of it. Help me to rest in You. I can’t do it on my own. I need You to help me. Amen.