Today, we are jumping into an interesting question: how do we find peace? Wow, that’s a loaded question, if ever there was one. Merriam-Webster dictionary would tell us that Peace is defined as “a state of tranquillity or quiet,” but other definitions noted are as follows:
- Freedom from civil disturbance
- A state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom.
- Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
- Harmony in personal relations
- A state or period of mutual concord between governments
- A pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity.
- Also used interjectionally to ask for silence or calm or as a greeting or farewell.
Reading that list, I am sure each of us, in one place or another, struggles with peace in our lives. Whether we are in a war-torn country, a city with protests, debates, or voting season, a home with disunity, or a hostile workplace. I am sure we would all like to know true peace in our everyday lives. But I suppose most of us will ask the question, is it even possible to live a peace-filled life in the world we live in today? I can't blame you for wondering or pondering this idea, given the world we live in seems to be in disarray, it is dark, and we have gone back to Babylonian days “where every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
I’ll be honest: on this side of heaven, we will always have physical, mental, environmental, or socioeconomic trials that fight for our peace and attempt to starve us of it. But what if peace isn’t found in circumstances or places? What if it is not physical or geographic? What if peace is found in a person? In the Bible, we read multiple verses that remind us that Jesus is our peace. Ephesians 2 tells us,
“But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself (Jesus) is our peace”. (Emphasis mine)
Another of those verses is often recounted at Christmas and reads:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
This verse is a written reference to the prophecy of Jesus coming as the Messiah. Right at the start of scripture in Genesis 3, we see the first humans God made, Adam and Eve, sin against God. In response to this sin and to reconnect God and humanity, God sets a plan in motion for His son, who is at the right time to come to earth. In those 33 years, He lives as an example to us, dies in our place, and then rises again on the third day before going back to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father for eternity. This verse in Isaiah is a nudge to that same story and talks of Jesus being our Prince of Peace.
This means that in Him, we can find peace. It won’t be a temporary peace that is fleeting, and most of the time, we won't even be able to make sense of it, but we will be able to know that peace for eternity, as Jesus is everlasting and eternal.
Just before Jesus is arrested and tried for His impending death on a Roman cross, He speaks in the upper room to His disciples or followers. In that time, He tries to prepare them for the dark days that lay ahead and yet the joy that lay in the future also. John 14:27 tells us that Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” And so, we see here that the peace Jesus gives to us allows us not to fear or be troubled but to trust in God and to lean into Him even in the hard times. Jesus’ peace is unique and unlike anything we could know elsewhere. Philippians 4:7 tells us that
“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.”
Again, we see that the peace of God is essential for us as Christians as it guards our hearts and minds in Christ. I doubt I need to recount all the ways that daily living can cause anxious thoughts, worrying hearts, and a lack of peace in our lives, and yet somehow, unexplainably, we can achieve peace in God by simply trusting Him to direct our paths. Trusting Psalm 23, God will set us in green pastures and at still waters, provide Himself in the empty moments, and be present when we are alone. We need to trust Him to listen when we pray and act upon it.
These are not empty statements and do not rely on feelings; rather, they are the facts. When the devil comes along and tries to remind you that you are a sinner, that dark things happen, or that the world is messy, remind Him that the sovereign God is your anchor and that you are trusting in Him because it is God who gives you peace, strength, and joy!
Friend, I really do hope you know the peace that passes all understanding and have a beautiful and thriving relationship with Jesus. But if you do not, please reach out to me or a local church. We would really love to introduce you to this Prince of Peace we have talked about today. Why would you do life alone when you could have a friend like Jesus who sticks closer than a brother? A friend who can actually change your life and the lives of those around you miraculously. What if peace is a person, and you could find that in Jesus, leaving all your torment and trials to Him? I hope you know Him, but if not, please consider your options.
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/David Marcu
