This is part 4 of a 10-part series. View the entire series here.
“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. ” – John 15:27 NLT
Disturbing the Peace
You’re sitting with a quiet cup of coffee or tea at the kitchen table in the calm hours of the morning. You take a sip. All is well.
But soon the realities of the day sink in, and you feel that peace slip away. This disruption to your peace has just become a rhythm— but it’s unsustainable at worst and unsatisfactory at best. Surely there must be more to life than fighting for a moment of peace.
Peace in His Presence
Jesus gives us many spiritual gifts meant to transform our hearts and minds, including the gift of peace. In the final hours before His betrayal, Jesus gives His disciples a kind of peace that the world never could. A peace that removes trouble and fear from our lives. A peace that surpasses our understanding, because our hearts and minds are guarded in Christ Jesus.
Our peace cannot be connected to moments where conflict and chaos don’t exist. This peace is fleeting and doesn’t give us rest––it only delays feelings of being overwhelmed and exhausted.
The peace that Jesus offers is an invitation into a peace that lasts through every situation. This kind of peace comes from welcoming Jesus into the conflict and chaos, trusting that He is in control.
Growing in Peace
As we learn to trust God with our lives, we’ll find that peace always follows. Not because the craziness of life departs from us, but because Jesus calms our hearts in the middle of the raging storms.
Lay down your need to fight for moments of peace and instead begin walking with the Prince of Peace. We’ll never be able to rid our lives of everything that tries to rob us of peace. But we can protect ourselves against them by looking to Jesus as a source of strength and hope. The fruit of peace is produced by those who learn how to keep their eyes on Jesus no matter what’s happening around them.
