“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” John 14:27 (NIV)
Do you know someone who never seems to get upset about things? Do you wish you could be like that person? Do you try to take a stand only to have your position cause a problem?
As children of God, we learn to yield ourselves to His plan. He guides us through the sticky circumstances of our lives. We have to trust that He knows what He is doing in each area of our lives. Jesus remakes our inner selves, our souls to be more aligned with His.
When we search for ways to calm our hearts, we turn to Jesus. He is our peace.
Back when I was in college, there was a ‘cute’ saying among some of the girls in my residence hall: “If you can keep your head in all this confusion, then you don’t understand the situation.” I don’t know who created this thought, but in light of the scriptures, I find this thought to be humanistic.
When God’s children see tragedy and destruction in the world, they look at it through eyes God has given them. The earthquake in Haiti, the one in Japan and the resultant tsunami caused people to reach out to those nations and relieve their suffering – as best they could.
Jesus himself told the disciples that they would have peace-not the world’s peace-His peace.
When we first think of peace, an idyllic scene comes to mind. But even that picture can change in an instant.
Imagine with me a scene of a house fire; the people who live in this house are all stressed out about losing their belongings and their home. The firefighters go through the steps of extinguishing the fire and attempt to save what they can for the family. These first responders rely on their training to execute their job-to put out the fire. As believers in Christ, we are to also, rely upon our training in light of any circumstances that beset us. Our reaction to a harsh word or a misunderstood thought expressed by another tells us and those around us what is going on in our hearts.
Jesus gives us peace-His peace- to share with those around us. How does He do this? He speaks through His Word and instructs us how to rely upon Him during the times of trial. Yes, He allows us to go through rough times in order for us to learn of Him and bring comfort to others. Jesus also sends people to us who can encourage us when we need it. God uses various ways to speak to give us peace-His Word, Christian writers, events in our lives, music, and other people. Christ sometimes whispers into our ear words we need to hear.
As children of God, it is our duty to emulate Him and follow His direction as we go about our daily routines. If we have issues that upset us, we are to turn them over to Him. If we notice someone doing wrong, we are to ask God for the words to say to gently guide that person back to where he or she is to be.
Dear Father God:
Please forgive us for not always reacting to our world in any way other than in peace. We ask You to teach us Your ways so that we can find peace in our lives, in order that we may show others Your peace. We ask this out of Your grace for us. We will give You the praise. In the name of Jesus, AMEN
Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.