Peace: My Peace I Give You

It is December, the time of the year when the pace of life speeds up even more for many folks. For instance, there are deadlines to be met at work, cramming for final or mid-term exams at school, trying to complete projects before year end or hurrying from store to store while enduring massive crowds or traffic jams just to find the perfect gift to give at Christmas. It seems that we try to have everything finished before Christmas so that we can enjoy a few minutes/hours/days of “peace” before starting the process over in the New Year.

Peace is an interesting concept. When I think of peace, many things come to mind such as a restful night’s sleep, a quiet evening at home, or a relaxing day outdoors hunting quail or fishing for bass. However, my most prevalent thought regarding peace centers around the absence of conflict. Thoughts like, “If I didn’t have to deal with …my life would be perfect.” frequently come to mind. Yet, it becomes more apparent as the days go by that the “perfect life” here on earth is nonexistent while conflict, either with self, someone, or something is inevitable.

The scriptures speak of peace “…like a river…” (Isa 48:18) that is abundant and overflowing and “…a covenant of peace” (Eze 37:26) between God and His people. These verses paint a beautiful picture of the living, functional relationship that God desires to have with his people. But the one that I reflect on most often is how Jesus is described as the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). The peace spoken of here by Isaiah is that of “wholeness” or “well-being”, not absence of conflict.

You see, Christ came to earth and healed the sick, wounded, and afflicted that he encountered and they, in turn, gave witness to him. When I consider this, I realize that Jesus didn’t come to take the conflict out of the world, but to call us into a healing, “well-being” relationship with Him so that we could better deal with whatever comes our way while giving our testimony of His love for us as shown on the cross. It is only because of Him and his redemptive work on the cross that we can have peace. In that, I find strength, comfort, and PEACE.

Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27)

God, I pray that those who are looking for true peace will find you. In Christ, Amen.

Todd Adams
Stephenville, Texas