Having just travelled in a cramped caravan for the past four months with a difficult teenager, I have to say that peace is a subject that has been on my mind.
Peace.
What is it? More importantly, how do you find it and keep it?
What is peace?
There are many things that are forms of peace, but what is it really?
If you asked the people of Ukraine, they may consider peace to be a cessation of hostilities from the Russians.
The same could be said for all forms of dispute or conflict. To end the hostility between parties could be considered to be peace.
But often, the cessation of hostilities is just a starting point. There may still exist aggressive behaviour, bullying, and more where people live in fear. And to live in fear is not really a peaceful way of life.
What is real peace?
The problem with all of the above forms of peace is that they are external. They come from someone else doing something or ceasing aggression.
Real peace is the peace that is within. It is a sense equanimity that cannot be taken away. Real peace exists regardless of external stimuli or conditions.
And when a true peace is obtained, it cannot be removed.
Where do you find real peace?
There is only one true source of peace that exists in this world, and that is the peace that comes from and through faith in Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who gives us a real peace that cannot be overcome. Jesus put it this way:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John chapter 14, verse 27)
Jesus gave us His peace, which He left with the disciples and they have passed down to us today.
How did they pass it down? Through the teachings of Jesus written in the Bible for us to first learn, and then to walk by. When we live in His words, following Him according to the ways He established, then we receive the peace He left for us.
When we have and hold onto this peace from Jesus, we see that the second half of His words above come naturally. When we are at perfect peace in Jesus Christ, nothing can cause our hearts to be troubled and nothing can make us be afraid.
An example of the peace of Christ
A good example of the peace of Christ upon His disciples can be seen in the examples of Paul and Silas.
22 The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's fetters were unfastened. (Acts chapter 16, verses 22-26)
Paul and Silas had been attacked, dragged before the courts, beaten with rods and then thrown into the deepest dungeon and left to rot.
And what did they do? Did they moan and complain, or call out about how hard done by they were?
No…they sang!
Can you imagine yourself in this same situation? Would you be singing and praising the Lord as Paul and Silas did? What was so different about these two men?
These two men held a strong faith in Jesus Christ and they knew they would be saved. And because their faith was so strong, they were at perfect peace within, in spite of the wounds inflicted, lies told, and penal imprisonment they suffered. And if you read on in that same chapter, you will see that God released them from their shackles, opened the doors of the prison, and afterwards the jailer and his whole family were saved.
How do you get this peace?
If you want this same peace for yourself, go to Christ. Cast all your burdens upon Him and believe that He will help you overcome.
When situations arise that trouble you or cause you to fear, exercise the process of walking in the Spirit.
Basically, that means, pray first (always), then do something that is good, right, and holy to take your mind off the matter and set your thinking onto the things of the Spirit.
If the issue is very difficult and is trying to overpower your mind, you may have to do this for some time before you feel the peace of the Lord restore, strengthen and establish you.
But it does work…even when you are in a cramped caravan travelling with a cantankerous teenager!