Whose peace do you have?
My whole life, I’ve been a bit health-sensitive. Rather than focusing on smart eating or exercising habits (at least until my 20s), I overthought every little health hiccup, especially from my teens onward. I spent my fair share of time consulting “Doctor Google”—with its often horrifying suggestions of diagnoses derived from the slightest symptoms—and as a result, I had almost no peace when it came to my health.
So when my son recently had a feverish sickness, I found myself thinking and praying on this subject. It’s no secret I’ve also lacked peace when it comes to his health…but what I’ve realized is that my lack of peace is the result of seeking it from “the world” and not from Jesus.
This ideal peace I’ve been looking for shatters with every cough, sneeze, fever, or bellyache. And how often is that the case for all of us? How often is our peace so fragile that it’s destroyed when circumstances become less than ideal?
But those are the moments we need peace most.
The thing is, when we search for temporal peace, not only will we never truly be peaceful (at best, we’ll be subconsciously waiting for the next bad thing to wreck that peace), but we will lack joy, too. The peace the world offers is often dependent upon things going right, and since we live in a fallen world, that simply doesn’t happen too often. Worldly peace relies on external circumstances or for other people to behave a certain way or be in a certain mood for us to feel at peace.
The peace Jesus offers is so much more substantial—even transcendental—in that it’s a peace we can have even when things go so wrong. In fact, his peace may be one of the strongest things that holds us up in the depths of despair.
Jesus’s birth brought such a landslide of changes that altered the course of human history—for those who believe in him as Lord and Savior and even for those who don’t. One of these unexpected changes was a new kind of peace.
Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace”. Peace was declared at his birth, and he told his followers that he was giving them a new peace, not the kind the world gives (John 14:27). This peace flows from our relationship with him, our nearness to the Father as His born-again children, and from the Hope of life in the age to come.
No wonder this peace differs from the peace the world offers. And it’s the kind of peace I certainly desire! How about you?
This week, we encourage you to pray for, deeply seek, and rest in the peace that surpasses understanding. This is a godly peace, not a worldly peace; a perfect peace promised to those whose eyes are fixed on Yahweh. It’s a peace that comes from knowing Emmanuel—that God is with us and He will never leave or forsake us. The peace Jesus gives eases grief, soothes tension, and leads to joy as we focus on the promises of our loving Heavenly Father in every situation, both good and bad.
May THAT peace be with you – always!
