No Jesus – No peace.

Know Jesus – Know peace.

 

“My peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart not be troubled. Neither let it be afraid.”  (John 14:27)

 

Jesus was talking with his followers shortly before the end of His physical ministry on earth. He was encouraging them by promising them God would send a Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to remind and teach them all they needed to enter into God’s presence and His peace. (Words for us today!)

 

How valuable to you is peace? I can assure you that the more turmoil there is in your life, the more you will long for some peace. If your body is torn apart by disease – or by the effects of the cure – you will long for peace. If your mind is constantly in a whirlwind, always jumping from one worry to another, trying to find an escape from sorrow and pain, you will seek peace with all your might. While you are recovering from grief you will welcome peace.

 

But what kind of peace will fill our needs? Will quietness or solitude? If you experience Tinnitus, a constant ringing in your ears that never stops,  quietness may bring more stress than peace! If you are lonely, solitude may only serve to insult your sensibilities. What about the absence of stress and hurt? That would be nice, but do you know of such a protective place where heartache never visits? How about a bigger pile of money, a life of comfort? There are too many stories of extremely wealthy people who never found peace.

 

Jesus says that He gives us true peace, not the kind of peace the world offers. What is this true peace that we are offered? He says it is the kind of peace that can protect our hearts from being troubled by the storm raging around and within us. It is the peace that overcomes fear. It is a peace that endures and persists despite our circumstances.

 

Paul wrote that he had learned the secret of being content; that whether he had plenty or none, he “could do all things through Christ who strengthened him.” He endured plenty of pain and sorrow, including some unknown ‘thorn in the flesh’ that just wouldn’t leave him. But a contented peace allowed him to rise above his circumstances. He found the peace that surpasses all human understanding, the peace that Jesus gives. Surely, this peace is ‘the favor of the Lord, more than any other ‘riches’ you may acquire!

 

Doesn’t that sound like the peace you want? Isn’t that the kind of peace that would make your light shine brighter within and around you? I wonder what transformation awaits us when we decide to relentlessly pursue the peace of God rather than the peace that the world offers! Why not spend time with God and talk with the Prince of Peace about experiencing His peace in your life?!