This just in from our global online tribe: I’m not sure if I live with too much FEAR or not. But I am certain that I do NOT have God’s PEACE. What does that mean?
If you live on planet earth you know we are living in uncertain times that produce FEAR. The COVID pandemic. Political warfare. Economic turbulence. Racial tension. And more. Even Christians, maybe especially Christians, struggle mightily to find peace in these fear-fueled days.
Unpacking that reality begins with recognizing that without trust in God, FEAR wins out and PEACE remains elusive. Let’s explore why.
One reason it’s tough to find God’s PEACE pivots on our expectations. Why? Because REAL PEACE, God’s peace, sometimes lives at the intersection of the world’s reality and life’s pain.
Peaceful feelings without the presence of challenge and conflict are not fully representative of the inner PEACE in Christ that believers seek. We cannot wait for everything to be “great” and “comfortable” to start our search for God’s peace.
God’s peace is seen through the prism of adversity. When God’s peace illuminates the spirit of a Christian, others begin questioning how that can be happening in the middle of their strife and pain.
The Bible tells us that the Lord promises true inner peace–no matter how difficult our circumstances may be–when the world cannot deliver it under any circumstance.
The Lord Jesus said that peace is found IN HIM. God’s PEACE is not a free-standing feeling. It is IN Christ. Life and the world can fill us with FEAR that we think we cannot escape. But we can experience the peace of God in the middle of that fear. The antidote to fear is trusting IN Christ which produces God’s peace.
We experience God’s inner PEACE by acknowledging God’s love for us—not just saying the words but knowing it to our soul’s core. It comes when in every situation we go to him by prayer and petition with thanksgiving and present our requests to God. That’s when we will be torched with the light of his PEACE.
God promises to give me peace—true inner peace—no matter what the circumstances are in my life. I trust him and want HIS peace.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel God’s PEACE right now? Have you ever truly felt it? What will you do this week to experience the peace of God?
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
