4 July

Gustave Flaubert once wrote, ‘You can calculate the worth of a man by the number of his enemies, and the importance of a work of art by the amount that it is attacked.’ The reason people in the Bible, and the church today, are so embattled is because the work you do is so important. Coming under attack is not a rare event in the Bible. Nor is it a rare event in the life of any Christian. Sometimes you go through periods of relative calm. But further attacks are almost inevitable.

Jesus said, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you’ (John 14:27). The early church preached ‘the good news of peace through Jesus Christ’ (Acts 10:36). St Paul wrote, ‘we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 5:1). ‘The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace’ (8:6). He begins many of his letters, ‘Grace and peace to you’ (1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3, and so on).

In the middle of attacks, whether from neighbours or enemies or authorities, you can have peace knowing that God is in control of events and history and turns opposition into opportunity.