PEACE

Recently, I had delved deeper into the concept of PEACE, it seemed that the more I tried to “find” peace, I was instead met with barricades of inner conflict, troubled relationships, and anxious thoughts.

I realised that I was relying on the world’s peace, a peace that is temporary and dependent upon circumstances, and doesn’t provide the kind of peace that Jesus is offering. Worldly peace tells us that when things are calm, we’re at peace, and when our circumstances grow dim, we’re not at peace.

I read a story about a young girl who had spent her last few months exhausted, her emotions were spent, and her spirituality was far from where it should be... in a moment of desperation and frustration, she asked her mother “How is it possible to know the God of peace, yet still feel no peace at all” … her mother’s response was this…

“You cannot separate peace and the God Who provides it. They are one and the same. HOWEVER, we live in a world today where the chaos is so strong and the confusion so real, that when peace, Whose Name is JESUS, comes knocking on the doorway of our heart, we are unable to recognize it! We become so entangled, yet so reliant on the war in our soul, that we cannot hear the gentle whisper of the One Whose Name releases a peace that will always surpass our understanding and striving. You must be able to QUIET your weary heart, in order to realize that the Prince of Peace stands waiting and ready to make the most beautiful exchange”.

When I read this, I thought back to John 14:27…

“I am leaving you with a gift- a peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So, don’t be troubled or afraid”.

It has become clearer that there are no ‘easy steps to peace with God’, there is only one way- Jesus.

One of the biggest revelations on my journey is recognising that peace doesn’t equal perfection, even when we have God’s peace in our lives, it doesn’t equate to perfection in the world.

Whilst on earth, we will have hardship and difficulties... we will go through seasons where the pain is intense, but these outside pressures don’t have the power to take away God’s perfect peace through Jesus Christ, God will meet us in these moments… Life is not perfect, but God is.

Pastor Steven Furtick said it best that, “If I’m going to live at peace, I’ve got to surrender my expectation of perfection. Peace isn’t found in a place or in a set of circumstances that are problem-free”.

God will meet us in our deepest time of need with an unexplainable, unfathomable, and inexplicable peace.

Ariella
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