Pursuit of Happiness

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Can you have happiness without peace? Can you have faith without peace? Does joy then flow from faith? Gurnall implies we must have peace as the base of happiness (joy).

Peace is both indispensable and comprehensive. You cannot be happy with anything less than peace but you do not need anything more than peace to fill you with true joy. Of all the varieties on God's spiritual menu, His serving of peace can least be spared. If you take this away the feast is spoiled, even if a brightly garnished outward peace replaces it at the center of the prince's table.

Piper has greatly influenced my thinking in the last couple years on the fight for joy -- "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!" (Ps 34:8). I think Gurnall adds a component to reflect on for that fight and understanding the peace we have through the gospel.