According to the writer of Romans 8:31, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Also, in the same text, the apostle Paul comforts us with the promise that, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Now these words alone should bring us peace.

The peace that I speak of is not worldly or carnal. The world’s peace is conditional and short-lived, but the peace that God gives is lasting and complete. It is the peace that passes understanding.

I was talking to a neighbor recently, and he expressed to me how his reaction to stressful situations had changed over the years. As he expressed his inability to fully understand how he could be at peace over the same situations that had previously caused him stress, I replied to him, "You are at peace now."

I don’t know about you, but like this young man, I don’t stress out over situations as I did in earlier years. I’m not saying that nothing bothers me because for far too many years, I stressed over things. I recall asking my mom how does she handle the stresses of life with seemingly so much ease. Her reply was, "Keep Living."

I can honestly say that as a result of studying and meditating on the Word, I am discovering that it is God’s will for his people to trust and depend totally on him. The writer warns us to "be anxious for nothing," more plainly stated, don’t worry about a thing. In all things we are told to make our petitions known unto God and by doing so, the "peace" that I am alluding to will keep our heart and our mind. We will be able to rest both physically and mentally. I feel that the purpose of this scripture and the many others that caution us to enter into God’s rest is because peace is vital to the Creator. It’s why the writer of Genesis describes how the Lord walked in the garden in the cool of the evening; a time when things were calm and at peace. It’s why Jesus spoke to the wind and the waves and declared, "Peace." It’s also why that of the many things our Lord could have left or given to us he chose peace. "My peace I leave with you."

In speaking on the subject of peace, I’ve often wondered why the rich and wealthy who seem to "have it all" seek to end their lives and the answer is simple. These poor individuals are not at peace. They are torn and tormented creatures. The enemy agenda is to make certain that we don’t enjoy peace. In fact, he walks to and fro to assure that this does not occur. His desire is for us to be fearful and tormented. God’s desire is for us to have peace.

Those who have not experienced confusion and whose lives have not been in turmoil have no idea what it means to have peace. I, like many others, have experienced some turbulent times in my life and have not known which way to turn, but as I have grown in my spiritual way, I know what it means to have peace of mind and I wouldn’t trade it for a million dollars. To quote the people at MasterCard, "A home: 200,000 Car: 60,000 To enjoy peace: Priceless!!!!!!!!!!

The apostle Paul said it best, "But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ ( the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us." Romans 5:8 He died so that we would be in right standing with God, which is a place of peace. Christ came to give us life and that more abundantly. The abundance that the writer describes means more than material wealth, it refers to a life complete with peace.

In my present place of employment, I encounter many patients suffering from disease. Their physical body is constantly plagued with pain which leaves them helpless and vulnerable. If you were to ask them what do they desire of you, their most frequent response is "All that I need is something to dull the pain so that I can get some rest. They don’t desire money nor material possessions. All that these tormented souls desire is peace.

Jesus’ response to them and to all is, "Peace, I leave with you; my [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly unsettled." (Amplified Bible) I chose to use this particular biblical version because I found it to be behavior altering. The mere reference to not permitting ourselves to be intimidated and fearful spoke volumes to me personally. I trust and pray that you will also gain some insight from our Lord’s command.

As believers we are to live peacefully with all men. In fact, we are instructed to, "As much as loath within us, we are instructed to live peaceably with all men."

As far as our Lord is concerned, peace is vital to our Christian walk.

At times, I relax in the comforts of my own home and I wouldn’t trade those times for no material possessions. I can recall at an earlier age when all I desired to do was to be with as many friends and surround myself with as many people as possible. As the saying goes, "The more people I saw, the merrier."

Now, as I mature and continue to discover what my rights are as a believer, I cherish every peaceful moment. It is my heart’s desire, and during this beautiful Christmas season and throughout the coming years, I pray for "Peace" for all of God’s creation.

By Travestine J. Wright