Thoughts from Dallas Willard

Abandonment in Christ equals Joy and Peace. It doesn't seem to go hand in hand that abandonment, something that sounds a lot of times painful and a lot like giving up, would go hand in hand with joy and peace, but that is exactly what Dallas WIllard is talking about in his book Renovation of the Heart.

The question remains, what exactly does that mean, and beyond that, why does joy flow from abandonment?

According to Willard, "Peace is the assurance that things will turn out well. We no longer strive inwardly or outwardly, to create some outcome. To be a peace with God and others is a great attainment and depends on graces far beyond ourselves and our own efforts."

So when we are at peace that means that the grace of others and of God are overflowing, we are receiving them and that is awesome, but what if someone decideds not to extend you grace? What if someone condemns you over something you did to them or refuses to forgive you even though you have done all you can to deal with the repercussions of your sin?

Then we need to think about who it is that is condemning us (reminding ourselves that it is not God) and "draw on the abundance of it (grace) from God." If we remind ourselves that ultimate grace comes from God then we are assured that we can pursue peace with all people, even those who condemn you. And once we get to this point we are okay abandoning our lives to Christ, to get full peace and joy in Him, because He knows what gives us life and life to the fullest, He knows the desires of hearts and he knows the plans He has for us, all of which to prosper us and not harm us.

So when we are secure in the grace that God gives us then we can begin to live in joy and peace, fully.