Stepping Heavenward--on peace

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss.  p. 129-130

   I have just been to see Mrs. Campbell.  In answer to my routine of lamentations, she took up a book and read me what was called, as nearly as I can remember, "Four Steps that Lead to Peace." The four steps she read are as follows:

   "Be desirous of doing the will of another, rather than your own.'
   "Choose always to have less, rather than more.'
   "Seek always to the lowest place, and to be inferior to every one.'
   "Wish always, and pray, that the will of God may be wholly fulfilled in you.'

   I was much struck with these directions; but I said, despondently:  "If peace can only be found at the end of such hard roads, I am sure I shall always be miserable."

   "Are you miserable now?" she asked.

   "Yes, just now I am.  I do not mean that I have no happiness; I mean that I am in a disheartened mood, weary of going round and round in circles, committing the same sins, uttering the same confessions, and making no advance."
 
   "My dear," she said, after a time, "have you a perfectly distinct, settled view of what Christ is to the human soul?"

  "I do not know.  I unerstand, of course, more or less perfectly, that my salvation depends on Him alone; it is His gift."

  "But do you see, with equal clearness, that your sanctification must be as fully His gift, as your salvation is?"

  "No," I said, after a little thought.  "I have had a feeling that He has done His part, and now I must do mine."

   "My dear," she said, with such tenderness and feeling, "then the first thing you have to do is to learn Christ."

   "But how?"

   "On your knees, my child, on your knees!"  She was tired and I came away; and I have indeed been on my knees.



Oh, peace sounds nice.  Plus, those are such practical and implement-able things to do.  (I like a list!)  And wisdom would be greatly appreciated.  The Bible says all I have to do is ask (so it says somewhere in James chapter 1).  So I'm hitting my knees in 2011, literally.  There's something about praying on your knees.  I highly recommend it if you haven't tried it.