I received an e-mail from someone in regard to the ex-Christian perspective I wrote. She hasn't given me permission to publish any of the actual text from the e-mail, so I will certainly respect her wishes by not doing that. She herself is an ex-Christian. She stated that for years she sought God trying to find the love and peace she desired, but continued to be in pain. She eventually gave up on trying to find the peace she desired and left God. That is when she says she found the peace she was looking for. Her question for me was; what would I tell someone who is happier after leaving Christianity than they were as a Christian. Here is my reply.




I would say they already answered their own question.

Peace is gained by resting (trusting) in the assurance of something. Can people gain a certain level of peace by trusting in something other than God? Absolutely. But their trust is misplaced. Jobs, cars, marriages, houses, finances, "things" are not trustworthy. They can all be there, then gone in a moment. Yet people cling to these things for the little bit of shallow peace they bring. But God wants us to have peace in spite of our circumstance, rather than our peace being dependent on our circumstances. That is the peace that surpasses all understanding. God wants us to know and believe and even see that He is well able to provide for us and care for us, and He will never leave us.

But to take on His peace we need to first believe that He loves us and cares for us and well never leave us. Some people find this difficult to believe for various reasons. Also, people are sometimes tripped up by things not happening as they envisioned. When they have a need or desire and the fulfillment of that need or desire does not come when they believe it should or how it should they become despondent, believing God has left them and is not trustworthy. But often people believe they need something when they do not. The need they perceive is a deep desire of their flesh, but they don't recognize that. Or maybe God has different plans for them. Also, God will sometimes put us in needful situations so we can learn to trust Him, but so many give up before the answer comes. How else can we see God be faithful to us with our own eyes if we are never in a position of need? Unfortunately, far too often, people want to be comfortable rather than know God.

When you go to bed do you continually search for your bed all night long or do you lie down and sleep? If you had a broken foot would you walk around looking for healing or would you sit down and rest? You cannot strive for peace. Peace comes when you rest in something. You cannot search for peace. You might have gained a certain level of peace when you gave up on God and trusted in other things, but your trust is misplaced. And when the foundation of our trust is shaken our peace is lost.

Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Can you see how the sand represents the things of this world, which are ever changing? Can you see how the rock represents God?

I certainly am not trying to kid you, trusting in God can be difficult sometimes. It goes against all we have learned in our lifetime of how the world works. But I would remind you and anyone else, difficult circumstances come whether you have faith in God or not. They come no matter what religion you are. The real issue is what are you relying on to get you through, sand or rock?

Mark Moyers



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