PEACE, I GIVE UNTO YOU.

There is chaos all around us. Everywhere we turn there are horrific mass shootings, suffering, and divisive politics. We get home in a hurry hoping to avoid the chaotic environment, shut the door, turn the TV off, and sit on our couches, only to find our mind totally cluttered with the issues in our lives. Self-judgment, financial issues, relationships, and poor health, all bombard our minds to the point of screaming for help. Torment has settled in our minds and there is no way of quieting it down.

This is the reality for most! Not a whole lot of people have attained the “peace that surpasses all understanding” that the Apostle Paul talks about in Philippians 4:7. The Hebrew word “Shalom” comprises wholeness, well-being, and harmony in every aspect of life. It is the absence of conflict or turmoil within. It is peace with God and peace within oneself. Perfect peace starts only when we have a constant connection with God. God is the only one who is the author and giver of perfect peace. In John 14:27 Jesus promises us, “Peace I leave with you; The peace I give to you. I don’t give to you as the world gives”. Jesus’ statement makes a clear distinction between the perfect peace He gives and that of what the world offers. The peace that the world gives is temporary. It is conditional. We have peace when we are healthy when everything is lined up the way we want it. We have peace when we win contracts, the money is flowing, no one is bothering us, and the economy is at its highest pick. We have peace when all is going well. However, if one thing is missing, it starts to rock our world. Our peace is disrupted. Or if something is missing in our lives our peace is shattered. Fear and worry take over and we become miserable. The peace the world gives us has a price tag attached to it. Our mind is conditioned to have things a certain way to be in peace. It is as if we demand to have things our way. This puts us in the driver’s seat of our lives. We have removed God and have become the master of our destiny. This causes us to keep on being disappointed, hurt, and depressed.

The opposite of peace is fear and fear brings torment. It robs us of our happiness and most of all makes us a slave to it so that we will not have the freedom to fulfill the plan and purpose that God has for us. Fear also comes from unbelief. Our faith in God is challenged. However, the Peace of God that surpasses all understanding is always available for us if we can only rest in Him. It is not something we can comprehend or explain. The peace of God doesn’t look at things and situations from the outside but flows from within. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit the Apostle Paul talked about in Galatians 5:22-23. The Holy Spirit within is the one who guarantees us that perfect peace. It is a gift from God and earned by cultivating a personal relationship with Him. Through studying and meditating on the Word of God by the Spirit of God we can learn how to have peace with God and peace with ourselves. The Bible says in Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you”. It is not us nor it is what the world offers us. It is not even our health or our money; Not even our business success or degrees we possess. Only God who is the author of all things can give us that peace that is everlasting. The only thing that can shake our peace is the things we entertain in our hearts. The things we pay attention to that are surrounding us. God’s peace is unshakeable.

Knowing that He cares for us and is in control of all things is the foundation of our peace. He will work all things together for our good. He is able to free us from the bondage of fear and doubt. It allows us to relinquish the notion that we can control our lives and allows us to depend on and trust God. This gives us an opportunity to trust God and give us assurance in His love and care. Even during crises and chaos, we believe God is in us and will never leave us. In Psalms 23, the Psalmist says, “Even if I go down to the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me. Your rod and staff protect me”. The Psalmist wrote this very confidently because he knew his God and King who promises to always protect and nurture us. It is to our advantage to trust Him and rest in His loving arms enjoying the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Our attitude has to always be, “As long as I have God by my side who shall I be afraid of? He is our Light and Salvation whom shall we fear; He is the strength of our life whom shall we be afraid of. Ps. 27:1. Bless His Holy Name.