The Abundant Life: Peace

Peace is a beautiful thing.

Peace is a funny thing.

We often know what peace is without even having words to describe it.

But we also often think peace should be a myriad of things it is not.

My mother-in-law quite often gives this one piece of advice when decisions need to be made, when things look bleak, or when we’re conflicted and confused. She says, “follow peace.” Those two little words have guided me more in life than any other two words, because God is not the author of confusion (1Corinthians 14:33).

In this quest to “follow peace” in many circumstances over many years, I have come to know very well the difference between things I hope for, and things God has for me. I’ve learned that sometimes peace exists the loudest in my heart when the storms outside are the loudest around me. And lately I’ve learned (in semi-eye-crossing complexity) how one can have peace about a path and decision while having no desire (and much grief) about walking it. So yes, it’s a tricky thing.

Let’s start with what Peace is not:

1.     Peace is not the absence of storms.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. -- Isaiah 43:2

I think this one is taught often and early because life is full of storms. It’s full of times when we feel we’re walking through terrifying situations; when we feel we’re drowning and swept up in a current, out of control; when we feel that surely, we’ll burn up in the middle of a life gone up in flames!

And it’s something, as a young Follower of Jesus, that we do have to learn. Because it’s contrary to the world and our very nature. So much of the world uses the circumstance to take the lead and tell them how to feel and react to situations and others around them.

But God promises a supernatural peace, where we may reside in the eye of the hurricane, where all is silent, and peaceful, even as we see the elements and debris circle around us.

2) Peace is not the “feels.”

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

This one gets tricky. The world is very much about “happiness” and following what makes you feel good. It often defaults to “well it can’t be bad if I feel this good, right?” “It must be the way to go if I’m feeling it this strongly.” Even I succumb to these thoughts occasionally, thinking, that happiness is peace, and I would do fine to follow that feeling.

But peace is not a feeling; in fact, it often exists in spite of our feelings. The way you can tell the difference is that peace remains when things get bad, as where happiness and the “feels” are fickle and fleeting.

Peace is not joy, or happiness, it’s not contentment or excitement. It’s simply peace.

3.     Peace is not the absence of grief.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

This has been my big soap-box lately because it’s something I’m walking through freshly. But some of our deepest moments of grief can coexist with peace.

Just as peace is not the presence of good feelings, it’s also not the absence of all feeling. It’s not a free pass or a promise that you can go catatonic and walk through hard seasons feeling nothing at all.

As a pastor, if I saw someone who’d lost a loved one walking around with a smile on their face, or unaffected completely, I hardly think my first thought would be “Oh! The peace of the Lord is upon them!” I’d think -- “Uh, oh, something’s really not ok, and they’ve gone to a dangerous place of avoidance to cope.”

But I have met people (and experienced the contradiction myself) who are deep in grief but full of God’s peace. Grief is necessary and important and is not the same as being conflicted and troubled.

So what IS peace?

Peace is a supernatural gift, given by God:

There are many bible verses where God promises to “give” us the “gift” of God’s Peace (John 14:27, Isaiah 26:3, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Philippians4:7). I won’t go into all of them, but it’s important to note that this kind of peace cannot be found within us naturally, or from anything else in the world, other than the Lord. It’s HIS peace, that he’s gifting to us.

We can’t conjure it up, or choose it in difficulties, like we can faith. But faith and peace do go hand and hand, because often we can pray for peace, trust for it, and seek His face for it.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. -- Isaiah 26:3 

The Peace of God is something that can only be found by seeking His face. It is a gift he promises his children in all circumstances.

I don’t know about you, but that humbles me and moves me deeply. That He would know, from the beginning, that his creation would suffer as we do in this fallen world, but that he’d make one of his own traits available to us through the Holy Spirit, whenever we need.

I have come to believe that peace is one of the most favorite ways for God to speak to his children, and the prayer he answers and honors every single time. He gives it to guide our unsure feet and to comfort our wounded souls.

It is not a feeling, or the absence of feeling, it is a supernatural gift, given by God as we keep our eyes on Him, and His ways. It is not found in the world, but in His presence and love.

If you find yourself reading this thinking, “I’ve never known that peace, not sure it exists,” I’m here to assure you it most certainly does exist, and it can be found in the Lord. You need only to seek His face, and ask.