A Different Peace

I looked up the dictionary definition of peace. It said simply — the absence of disturbance. When something agitates or upsets us we deem that we are in a situation of no peace. We want to somehow remove the unpleasant circumstance in our quest for peace. However, there are times when the offending situation cannot be changed. It’s there, lurking, attacking our senses. This is when we need a different kind of peace; a peace that is from God alone.

What does John 14:27 mean when Jesus says to His disciples, I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Jesus was completely aware that He was near to the time of His cruel death on the cross. He would bear pain, being charged for all the sin of the world, which would turn His Father’s face away for a short but agonizing moment as minutes turned into hours.

When someone dies they often leave something for their loved ones to inherit. Jesus did the same. He left His family a peace that the world could not take away. The gift of peace from Jesus is far more than the absence of difficult circumstance: it is the fulness of harmony with God in the midst of any painful difficulty. Jesus’ peace is personal. The same peace that would sustain Him through crucifixion, He would now pass on to His followers — that’s you and me. The peace of Jesus doesn’t always eliminate the storm, but it gives us strength and confidence that we will not be consumed by the waves of turmoil and sorrow that wash over us. Our head will stay safely above water when we have Jesus’ peace. No hurtful words will destroy us, and even death will not overcome us, for it is in death that, for the Christian, is a door opening into an eternity of perfect joy and solace.

Are you in a storm today? Are you looking for a way out? Trust Jesus. Focus on Him and His love for you. Just think, the very same peace that carried Him through the experience of the cross, is the peace that He leaves to me and you. Nothing can destroy the peace of God within you. The peace Jesus gives has been with every child of God who has suffered persecution for being a Christian, or has cried in sorrow, who has been hurt by painful words hurled unfairly. The peace of Jesus comforted Him when He was betrayed, when one of His disciples denied he even knew Jesus.

We can arrange things in our lives to ease our difficulties, but the peace that passes all understanding that fills us with hope and gladness in the midst of any hardship can only be the gift of peace from Jesus. Whatever you are facing today, call to Jesus to be your everything to get you through anything. His peace will sustain you.