How many wander among us who do not have peace?  Who daily struggle with mental anguish?  Who are regularly plagued with the cloud of depression?  I am not asking about those who are the unbelieving, but those who are believers in Christ.   The number ratio is practically equivalent to that of the outside.  Why is this?   Because we fail to be honest with ourselves and God.  We do not deal with sin in our lives.  We do not deal with sin, because we do not acknowledge it is sin in the first place and instead take what the world calls it and there is the beginning of our peace-less life.  When any of us lack peace it is the very place that indicates something is wrong.  Not on the outside, where we can point our finger at someone to blame, but within.  Peace is the indicator that the hand of God is upon us, it is His very power to sustain us in tough times.  Instead of looking for the answer as to why we lack His peace in ourselves, we go out to find the way to deal with it.  We look for a doctor who can officially label it so we can blame whatever condition we are labeled for our lack of peace.  We seek out things to numb, occupy and soothe us with all justification to do so.   The truth is, we continue to not know peace even when we do all these things and continue to not seek God – which is what is needed.  Not a ‘please God, give me your peace’ kind of seeking.  His peace comes as a result of our connection to Him, our abiding.  Where we honestly look at our lives, our choices, our situations and challenges in the lens of the Word.  Where we seek to renew our minds with His word in truth and deed.  Where we are humble before Him and confess our sin, to repent of it and be washed from it.  To not look for excuse for our (sinful) behavior but to forsake it.   Instead, it is a compiling that goes on in our lives, where we get deeper and deeper in the clutches of anxiety, phobia, hopelessness, depression and thoughts of suicide.  Darkness looms over us though we read our bibles, faithfully attend our churches and meetings.  We are crying on the inside in desperation as we sing along with others the praises of God.   Yet, we refuse look at it for what it is.  Rebellion.