Peace In the Valley
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
This simple prayer, known the world over, is called the "Serenity Prayer". We LOVE this prayer! But while there is a certain nobility wrapped up in its time-honored words, there is also a measure of truth that must be pulled out of it. In praying this prayer, we need to understand what we're really asking God to do.
First, as so-called “post-modern” Americans, it's hard for us to accept much of anything as outside of our power to change it. Sure, we'll say we're not going to waste our time on some issue that we have decided is "unchangeable"; but no sooner than the words have fallen out of our mouths, we get to work trying to change the unchangeable anyhow! You don't think so? Remember that time you told your BFF “I tried, but he/she is NEVER gonna change!” Nearly all of us have spoken version of that statement! You can admit it….
Secondly, in seeking God out to provide serenity, at least two very different outcomes are possible: a) He will change the situation; or, b) He will change US in the situation. One of these seems optimal – problem solved; the other one means we're gonna have to endure the difficulty anyway.
Maybe a better prayer would be for the peace of God the Apostle Paul talks about. This peace is not an absence of problems – that’s “shalom”; this peace –"eirene" – is peace right in the middle of all chaos breaking loose in our lives. Given how unlikely the "absence of problems" is in our lives, the "peace of God" would seem to trump even serenity...which means we won't always need to know the difference between what we can and cannot change. That deserves a big "WHEW" and a FULL amen!
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7