Resurrection of the Body { Part 6}

Resurrection Of The Body... Part 6
Thank God for the commitment many of you have toward peacemaking. War is not the only way of solving problems in a marriage, in a home, in a community, between nations. Jesus calls us to be peacemakers.
Jesus came to give you and me the privilege of reorienting ourselves to joyful living.

The tensions, problems, stresses, and realities of contemporary life can weigh us down so much that we find it difficult to rejoice. We simply want to survive!
There is much written today about addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, work, and even cleanliness. Enjoying "good things" can be overdone. Ill health, low self-esteem, shame, guilt, sarcasm "veiled anger," cynicism and alienation from God are all results of compulsive or addictive behavior. These behaviors keep one from freedom that God's grace will bestow. For the gods of this world bring only emptiness, isolation, and loneliness. Unless we keep our heart secure with a lock and a chain, we will become attached to something of this world that is not for our ultimate good.
Being right with God is the source of our order within. But, since we are all limited human beings, we only have so much "spiritual" energy. If we waste our energy on lust, nursing past hurts, anger, pride, frustrations, being right, being popular, "looking good," or any of "countless" hosts of replacements for God ? there is no room left for God. We must put all things in proper place and abandon those things that disorder, disease, and lead us down a path to spiritual death. Unless we "die" daily to ourselves, Christ is not the center of our life. For only then can we truly heal the disorder in our souls and experience the tranquility of order and true joy. Our self-centeredness keeps our lives "off-key" from God's plan and will for our well-being, happiness, and joyfulness.