Peace Is A Process
“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11
Insight
I once saw a funny meme running in conjunction with a Miss America pageant. It was the scene where Oprah is giving away free cars, you know the one, “You get a car, you get a car, you get a car…,” but instead of giving away cars Oprah was giving away world peace, “world peace for you, world peace for you, world peace for you.”
It’s such a dichotomy, this image of Oprah giving out peace, as if peace were something tangible that could be bought for the right amount of money or given away as a gift. What would a box of peace even look like? Is that like a box of cereal that pours out into a bowl? Or is it more like a fancy flip lid jewelry box? Is peace a commonplace thing? Can it be purchased at the grocery store? Can peace be passed down through the generations?
At some point the meme part of this image gives way and it’s obvious how silly asking for world peace would really be. Peace is an abstract idea and we don’t have the power to create, usher in, or give it away.
Picture this scene with me. One you’ve seen a thousand times, The Last Supper. It’s Jesus with his twelve closest earthly friends, around a table, eating, drinking, laughing, and carrying on like a normal Sunday post-church-family-gathering at grandma’s house. And then Jesus calls attention. Maybe he stands up and clinks his glass. Perhaps he’s more soft-spoken and subtle.
But suddenly, there is no more laughter or joyful banter. Jesus has something serious to say. Something that’s about to change everything.
When was the last time someone dropped a bomb on you?
This is what I imagine it was like for the disciples. One of those moments when you can’t quite catch your breath, where it feels like the room is spinning. Suddenly their brother, who they likely believed would outlive them all, was declaring this His final meal.
The NIV translation of the Bible gives the chapter of John 14 the heading: Jesus Comforts His Disciples. Right in the middle of dropping his biggest bomb yet, the resonating message of the passage is of the peace he offers. His final act of friendship is to help those he loved most shoulder the weight of the loss they were about to endure. John 14:27, the words of Jesus, “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.”
Ann Voskamp says it like this, “Peace isn’t a place to arrive at but a person to abide in.” “I, myself, am your peace,” says Jesus.”
There are pivotal times in life when one moment changes everything, where chaos erupts and dislodges the landscape of our lives. And in those game-changer moments, the one who comforts is waiting to comfort you.
Colossians 1:17 says, “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.”
Peace is the person of Christ. And in relationship with Him is where we find the comfort we long for when the ever-shifting sands of life threaten to swallow us whole.
In Him all things hold together.
C.S. Lewis writes, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself. Because it is not there. There is no such things.”
This is what a box of peace looks like: It looks like the heart of Jesus being poured out daily though the friends we have to encourage us. It looks like digging deep into scripture memorization, writing God’s word on our hearts. It looks like meeting with a Christian counselor and seeking professional help when hard things are unbearable. It looks like a solid nights sleep even when anxiety threatens to invade the darkness.
So no, we can’t win free peace from Oprah, or hope to obtain it someday as part of our status, or even plan to pass it down to our children. What we can do is walk hand in hand with the person who is peace and learn to rely on Him as our source.
I can only imagine the unbearable sadness the night of that last supper with Jesus. To have walked side-by-side him, and now he was leaving.
May the peace of the Lord ever set your heart at ease. Peace is a promise that He keeps.
Reflection
What one thing could you surrender today and give God control over? What would this tangibly look like for you?
Prayer
Father, You know our anxious thoughts, our fearful heart, our burdened souls. Be our peace beyond understanding. Help us to find shelter in You when the stormy waters come and threaten to capsize our boat. Help us to know that You are our portion, our only need. Give us the courage to rest in trust and faith, knowing that You hold all things together. We love You, Lord. Thank you for giving us the promise of peace, for giving us words of comfort, and for sending Your Son to be the perfect provider of peace here on Earth. Amen.
Port City writer Kaitlyn Boscaljon wrote today’s devotional.
