Obtainable (and lasting) Peace!
In such turbulent times as these, the promotion of “peace” gets bandied about quite a bit. “Financial peace”, “world peace”, “inner peace”, “peace in the middle east”, so-on-and-so-forth. But do we ever really ask ourselves is any of it obtainable? If it is, does it last?
Today I’ll share about the peace I’ve found to be the only real kind out there…
Romans 5:1-8 says:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I chose this particular passage because it demonstrates that peace is not the absence of trouble, but rather the character and strength to deal with it! It is our faith in Jesus Christ that grants us such peace!
This is far different than the kind of peace the world offers! The peace the world knows is temporary… whether it’s peace treaties that never hold up over time, or the “clarity” that eastern religions offer but cannot be sustained.
Jesus said in John 14:27
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.
You would be surprised at the amount of people that NEED TO HEAR this! They worry day-to-day about things that, when put into perspective, are trivial in God’s eyes!
Then there are those that try to make their own kind of peace by building up possessions or accomplishments, when in reality they’re just building up walls to block out their junk!
And of course we also have many who will drown out their sorrows with their cheap vices and petty hopes. This is just as temporary, and just as costly!
Wow… there’s a much better way to live!
Let’s look at God’s kind of peace:
Isaiah 26:3-4 tells us:
He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength.
It is so much easier to live in humble submission to God and the peace He freely gives us! Why do we even bother fighting it? The thing to remember is that true peace is unobtainable through OUR MEANS!
I am thankful for a God who LOVES ME and wants me to live with peace and joy each and every day of my life. It won’t mean I’ll be without challenges, but instead I’ll know I have Him to empower me to face them head-on!
Remember that satan will ALWAYS be wanting to keep us down and feeling down. It is up to us to decide who to believe about ourselves… the enemy or God Almighty!
Tell someone you know that needs to hear this: that GOD LOVES THEM and that you want them to experience the peace that Jesus freely gives!
Be blessed!
