Serenity prayer: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Serenity is about peace or peacefulness.
God is the God of peace (Luke 2:13-14; Rom.5:1; 15:33; 16:20; Phil.4:9; Heb.13:20).
The God of peace gives spiritual hope. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" Rom.15:13.
The Messiah Jesus Christ is the promised Prince of Peace (Is.9:6). The Messiah mediates peace between a Holy God and fallen human beings (Eph.2:13-18). Jesus is Mediator because He was sacrificed in behalf of those who believe in Him as Lord (see 2 Cor.5:17-21; Heb.9:11-28).
Jesus alone is the avenue of spiritual peace. A peaceful human demeanor has no power to grant spiritual salvation or reconcile a sinner to God.
Christians do Not have serenity because we accept the things we cannot change; the God of Peace enables us to have hopeful serenity by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by the Person of Jesus Christ.
A more accurate phrase at the start of this Prayer would be 'God grant me the serenity to endure the things I cannot change.' Christians are called to endure hard things and a level of suffering in this imperfect world. "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim.2:3; See also 2:10; 4:5; Heb.12:7; 1 Pet.2:19-21; 4:12-16; Rev.3:10).
Some things endured by Christians deserve the judgment of God. In Rev.6:10, the souls of slain Christians cry out "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of this earth and avenge our blood?" Christians endure various persecutions because of their faith in the God of peace and hope, not because persecutions and persecutors are acceptable and right (see Ps.119:84-88). Serenity comes, in part, from the realization that God will deal with unrepentant persecutors in due time. Read 2 Thess.1:3-10; 2 Tim.4:14.
Biblical peace involves reliance upon God and doing the Will of the Holy God in this world. The Serenity Prayer rightly says: 'Grant me the courage to change the things I can.'
Courage involves a conquest or control over fear. Practically speaking, courage is the management of fear in fear-producing situations.
God's people are told to 'take courage' in the midst of challenges. (Deut.31:5-6 with Josh.1:1-9; 1 Chron.28:20; Matt.14:25-27; Acts 23:9-11; Heb.3:6). God's people are to stand firm in the faith (1 Cor.16:13-14).
The Psalms teach us that God is our help in fearsome times. (Ps.18:2-3; 27:14; 31:4; 37:28-29; 56:1-4,10-11; 118:5-9; 125:1-2).
Christians are emboldened by Holy Spirit for tasks which God has appointed for
us to do. (Acts 4:5-13,31; 20:22-31). The 'Armor of God' strengthens Christians and gives resources for spiritual warfare. Eph.6:10-18
Jesus Christ is worthy of our trust (John 14:1). Therefore, we are to labor in His Name 'to overcome evil with good' Rom.12:21. Christians are summoned to do everything out of gratitude to God (Col.3:17). May we do Christ-honoring things with a grateful attitude and may we at least TRY changing those things that are unacceptable to God in light of Scripture.
When we fail to bring about a change we hoped for, we should prayerfully consider if God wants us to persevere or to choose another course of action.
This requires God-given wisdom. 'God... Grant me wisdom to know the difference.'
"Wisdom among men is gained by age and experience, furthered by instruction and exercise; but the wisdom of God is His nature. As the sun cannot be without light, so neither can God be without wisdom."--- Stephen Charnock
According to Rev.5:12 and 7:12, God the Father and God the Son are acknowledged as the Source of wisdom by the heavenly assembly. According to James 1:5- "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it [wisdom] will be given to him." Instead of generating wisdom from within, Christians receive wisdom from God.
Jesus said: "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you" Matt.7:7. We must prayerfully and expectantly ask God to give us wisdom.
God has already given His people the wisdom to know Jesus personally. "It is because of Him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, Who has become for us wisdom from God--- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption" 1 Cor.1:30.
God-given wisdom is both pure and peace-loving (James 3:17). Thus, 'Christian terrorism' is a contradiction in terms. Standing up for the gospel of Christ does not translate to planting bombs. Rather, we endure hardship and seek to change what is wrong because we trust the Pure and Holy God of peace.
We yearn for God-given wisdom along with the conviction that "all things work together for good to those who love God" Rom.8:28.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is Wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen."
Jude 1:24-25 NKJV.
Serenity is about peace or peacefulness.
God is the God of peace (Luke 2:13-14; Rom.5:1; 15:33; 16:20; Phil.4:9; Heb.13:20).
The God of peace gives spiritual hope. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" Rom.15:13.
The Messiah Jesus Christ is the promised Prince of Peace (Is.9:6). The Messiah mediates peace between a Holy God and fallen human beings (Eph.2:13-18). Jesus is Mediator because He was sacrificed in behalf of those who believe in Him as Lord (see 2 Cor.5:17-21; Heb.9:11-28).
Jesus alone is the avenue of spiritual peace. A peaceful human demeanor has no power to grant spiritual salvation or reconcile a sinner to God.
Christians do Not have serenity because we accept the things we cannot change; the God of Peace enables us to have hopeful serenity by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by the Person of Jesus Christ.
A more accurate phrase at the start of this Prayer would be 'God grant me the serenity to endure the things I cannot change.' Christians are called to endure hard things and a level of suffering in this imperfect world. "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim.2:3; See also 2:10; 4:5; Heb.12:7; 1 Pet.2:19-21; 4:12-16; Rev.3:10).
Some things endured by Christians deserve the judgment of God. In Rev.6:10, the souls of slain Christians cry out "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of this earth and avenge our blood?" Christians endure various persecutions because of their faith in the God of peace and hope, not because persecutions and persecutors are acceptable and right (see Ps.119:84-88). Serenity comes, in part, from the realization that God will deal with unrepentant persecutors in due time. Read 2 Thess.1:3-10; 2 Tim.4:14.
Biblical peace involves reliance upon God and doing the Will of the Holy God in this world. The Serenity Prayer rightly says: 'Grant me the courage to change the things I can.'
Courage involves a conquest or control over fear. Practically speaking, courage is the management of fear in fear-producing situations.
God's people are told to 'take courage' in the midst of challenges. (Deut.31:5-6 with Josh.1:1-9; 1 Chron.28:20; Matt.14:25-27; Acts 23:9-11; Heb.3:6). God's people are to stand firm in the faith (1 Cor.16:13-14).
The Psalms teach us that God is our help in fearsome times. (Ps.18:2-3; 27:14; 31:4; 37:28-29; 56:1-4,10-11; 118:5-9; 125:1-2).
Christians are emboldened by Holy Spirit for tasks which God has appointed for
us to do. (Acts 4:5-13,31; 20:22-31). The 'Armor of God' strengthens Christians and gives resources for spiritual warfare. Eph.6:10-18
Jesus Christ is worthy of our trust (John 14:1). Therefore, we are to labor in His Name 'to overcome evil with good' Rom.12:21. Christians are summoned to do everything out of gratitude to God (Col.3:17). May we do Christ-honoring things with a grateful attitude and may we at least TRY changing those things that are unacceptable to God in light of Scripture.
When we fail to bring about a change we hoped for, we should prayerfully consider if God wants us to persevere or to choose another course of action.
This requires God-given wisdom. 'God... Grant me wisdom to know the difference.'
"Wisdom among men is gained by age and experience, furthered by instruction and exercise; but the wisdom of God is His nature. As the sun cannot be without light, so neither can God be without wisdom."--- Stephen Charnock
According to Rev.5:12 and 7:12, God the Father and God the Son are acknowledged as the Source of wisdom by the heavenly assembly. According to James 1:5- "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it [wisdom] will be given to him." Instead of generating wisdom from within, Christians receive wisdom from God.
Jesus said: "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you" Matt.7:7. We must prayerfully and expectantly ask God to give us wisdom.
God has already given His people the wisdom to know Jesus personally. "It is because of Him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, Who has become for us wisdom from God--- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption" 1 Cor.1:30.
God-given wisdom is both pure and peace-loving (James 3:17). Thus, 'Christian terrorism' is a contradiction in terms. Standing up for the gospel of Christ does not translate to planting bombs. Rather, we endure hardship and seek to change what is wrong because we trust the Pure and Holy God of peace.
We yearn for God-given wisdom along with the conviction that "all things work together for good to those who love God" Rom.8:28.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is Wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen."
Jude 1:24-25 NKJV.