Serenity, Courage, Wisdom

January 29

"Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Rinehold Neiburh


Niebuhr has struck upon the key to our own contentment in life, and that is discernment. There are some things that will never be resolved to our satisfaction. We cannot excel academically beyond our intellectual capacity; we cannot change Washington because we cannot change politicians; we cannot affect peace in the world other than by introducing one man at a time to the Prince of Peace and by allowing Him to reign in our own hearts.

Yet we cannot sit idly by when needs arise that we can alter by our investment of ourselves into them. We can, for example, "Study to show yourself approved of the Lord, a workman rightly dividing the Word of Truth," as we are admonished to do in II Timothy 2:15. We know our knowledge of the Word and of the One who is the Author of Truth is not contingent upon our intellectual prowess but upon our willingness to open our hearts and minds to His Holy Spirit (John 14:26), so we should apply due diligence to its appropriation.

We cannot change Washington politicians or their counterparts in other parts of the world, but we can exercise our right to pray and seek the Lord's face as we are admonished to do in II Chronicles 7:14--and we can watch as the God of Creation who holds all life in the hollow of His hand exercises His prerogative to "...put down one and set up another." (Psalm 75:7). And we may "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem," knowing the Word says, "...they shall prosper that love thee" Psalm 122:6. This is especially true in this evil day when we see nations of the world rising against the peace of Jerusalem.

Although we cannot always know how and when to promote change, we can know that with the Lord's help change for the better can be accomplished. I pray you give yourself so fully to Him that He can use your prayers to make a difference in the circumstances that beset you and in the distressing things that are unfolding in the world. I pray that through His intervention you may be infused with the wisdom to discern the course you should take to achieve the best of all outcomes. He would have you to employ the philosophy of Reinhold Niebuhr to promote the purposes of Jesus in your life and, through your prayers, to improve the world.