Where’s the Peace?

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 (New American Standard Bible)

That which Jesus gives to us is always irrevocable. The same peace He gave to His disciples in the upper room on the very night He was to be arrested and beaten, is the peace He gives to each one who comes to Him for salvation. No matter the circumstances of one’s life, no matter the situations they find themselves in, no matter what, the peace that He gives is within us. Just as the stars are still present during the day when they cannot be seen, so is the peace Christ gives even when it cannot be felt or experienced.

What exactly is the peace Christ gives? A state of tranquility, harmony, security, safety, prosperity, assurance, quietness, restfulness, and being undisturbed. If that is the case, why does it seem like that is missing from our life at times? It is not missing, it is just not apparent. The reason for that sense of loss varies, but it all comes down to other things clouding our view and dulling our senses to its presence and reality.

I woke this morning with a fresh sense of peace….Christ’s peace was profound. Why? There was the absence of turmoil. Thoughts of rejection, distrust, loneliness, and frustration were not marking my path. Relationships seemed right. Truth was prevailing. Skewed thinking was arrested. It was so intense for me because so often it doesn’t seem to be my experience. Why? Because I have a sin nature and an enemy of my soul who is intent and persistent at seeking to destroy me.

My answer to this dilemma is to daily practice dieing to myself, opening my clenched fists to all that I should give over to God, resisting the enemy when his calling cards are present, centering my thoughts on the Philippians 4:8 list, turning my focus toward the One who gave me peace to start with, seeking opportunities to encourage others, and living out of the abundance of all that God continually gives to me.

As a child of God, I am called to walk in the light not the darkness. I am called to love others not judge them. I am called to embrace who I am in Christ. All that God calls me to do He equips me to do. When anything gets in the way of that, His peace is still in me but I am far from experiencing the reality of it. When that is the case, it is imperative that I seek out the cause and remedy the situation God’s way. The result will always be a fresh realization of what has been in me all along….peace.

Father, thank you for the profoundness of Your peace in me this morning. I have settled for less but desire to change. Amen.

Spirit of the Living God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShhUWVKZnEk

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.