His Peace

My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid John 14:27.

Jesus gave His followers a peace unlike anything the world system could ever offer them. No matter what society or culture a person is from, or how intellectually developed they become, they can never find peace comparable to that which Jesus gives.

I remember a time when Americans were considered religious. We were deeply devoted to God and exercised great faith in His Word. The acknowledgement of God in ordinary life was a living reality. Many of us didn’t have a lot, but we pulled together, shared and enjoyed a peaceful joyous life. We all had something in common; we had His Peace.

That is what Jesus promised His disciples. He let them know that because they followed Him, they would experience trouble and disorder in this world. They would be persecuted, harassed, and considered an annoyance. But in spite of this, He promised them peace. No matter where they went or what they faced, He promised that His peace would always be with them.

The world offers substitutes for peace. They lead us to believe that success, money and material possessions would give us the satisfaction we need. The suggestion is that the comfort and status that these things bring will lead to peace. But the experience of worldly people prove that it is not so. The life of the rich and famous is often a nightmare, filled with drugs, alcohol, broken relationships and worry. It is anything but peaceful. The person working nine to five is better off.

If we were to go to a bar at "Happy Hour", I would venture to say that there are not many happy people there. They are stressed out, weary and lonely. They call it happy hour, not peace hour. You see, there is no peace in the world.

Almost everywhere I look in today’s generation, I see lost hope and deep despair. They are desperate and impatient; they seek a quick solution to complicated issues. They cannot see that although education, hard work and perseverance will help them in this life, peace comes from Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "I will give you my peace". It is a gift from Him to us. It is inside of us, and we experience it as we walk in the Word of God. It is not in working the right job, going to the right church, or repeating "I Have Peace" over and over again. It comes from Him through our relationship with Him.

I have heard some question how we can have peace when the world is falling apart. It’s because we have "His Peace". It’s not in the world, it is in us. We may be feeling real pain and adversity, but His peace in us. We may experience financial pressure, family problems and having a hard time achieving certain goals in life, but we have His peace. We aren’t removed from the world, but we have a rock solid peace holding us up. We may have to cry sometimes, but deep inside, we know that God is in control.

One writer said that weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning. But we’ve got to make it through the night to experience the morning joy. God provides the grace to get us through.

We all go through storms, but it’s in the "going through" that we realize His peace. That’s how we know that He is real, and how our testimony and witness becomes a living reality.

I wish that I could help everyone understand His peace, but it is something that every person experiences for himself or herself. It is personal. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds Philippians 4:7. God gives us something that we can’t quite figure out. I cannot explain the exact mechanism by which it’s working in me. It is beyond the natural mind.

The great Apostle Paul experienced shipwreck, imprisonment, beatings and abandonment. Yet through it all the mysterious peace of God sustained him. Through every trial that came his way, he trusted the promises of God.

If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you have His peace. You may not live in a peaceful environment, but His peace belongs to you. It never leaves or comes and goes. It is not some rare emotional high. It is the rest that come from knowing that God is in control of your life.

By: Edmund Brown