As I have grown older, I have also grown more and more appreciative of the truth and concept of peace. By “peace”, I mean both the absence of conflict and drama in reference to relationships with others and the overall atmosphere surrounding me as well as the inner connection I have with God that is undisturbed by own sin, mistakes, transgressions and iniquities along with those of others because of Christ. Let me take a few moments to unpack each of these dynamics and show how important peace should be to each of us as believers.
I am not so foolish as to believe that we can live our lives to completion without having experienced stress, turbulence and conflict. Even if we were stranded on a desert island, these three aspects would be present in some form or another. Remember the movie, Cast Awaywith Tom Hanks back in 2000? The main character experienced enough stress to share with an entire continent of people!
Jesus gave us tremendous encouragement in John 16:33:“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.” First of all, He tells us, without question or doubt, that life will be full of “tribulation”; that is, we will have stress, turbulence and conflict. We don’t have to invite these. We don’t have to go looking for them. These things will come looking for and find us in due time. However, because we are in Christ, we will “have peace” because He has “overcome the world” and its “tribulation(s)”. What a promise!
Not only does this truth apply to our outer conflicts and trials, but His peace is even more applicable to us within. If we are diligent to seek Him in the midst of our daily lives, regardless of the circumstances, He will give us “the peace that surpasses all comprehension(which) will guard your hearts and your minds in(Him)” (rf. Philp. 4:7NASB). This is God’s peace which is designed to protect us and to assure us that all is right between us and Him because of all that Jesus has done on our behalf to take away our sin. Not only is He our sacrifice, but He continually intercedes before the Father on our behalf so that we are constantly nurtured and provided for in Christ. We are blessed beyond measure and “the peace of God” is but a token of God’s good pleasure upon us.
Believers in Christ everywhere would do well to learn and take to heart the Apostle Paul’s maxim, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (rf. 1 Cor. 14:33NASB). We tend to get enamored with the exciting, vibrant and chaotic, thinking that God is in the energetic and lively. We forget that God speaks loudest and moves more boldly in the quiet and peaceful when His voice is most clearly heard (ex: Elijah in the cave—rf. I Kings 19:11-12NKJV).
So, may our desire be for more inner and outward peace in our lives so that we can cultivate a closer walk with Christ, ever listening for His voice and waiting for His direction through His Word and Spirit. And, when we are buffeted by the winds of conflict and trial, may we continue in this peace undeterred and undistracted, having committed ourselves to His truths, secure in His promises and love.
