Sometimes you just need to study the Bible for yourself, for your own personal comfort, for your own personal recovery and reconstruction.
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 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 14:25-27
There certainly is a lot this world has in store for us when it comes to stealing, killing, and destroying our peace. But, oddly enough, we’re reminded here that the more we’re tormented (from the inside out, or from the outside in), the more our eyes are open to the true peace that we have.
One musical artist so eloquently shared in one of his compositions: ‘Mo’ money, mo’ problems’. I’ve already established in the past (when I actually had more money) that this isn’t necessarily true. If anything, the people who have no money have just as much problems as those with a lot of money.
And really, it isn’t a question of who has MORE problems or not, or who has WORSE problems: We all have problems. While we exist in this reality, we will all have problems. Only the dead are free of the problems of this reality… or, as we put it in programming syntax yesterday evening:
if dead = true then problems = false
We shouldn’t be wasting time over who has more problems than the other, or who has worse problems. Again, while we exist in this reality, we will all have problems; or, again, in programming syntax:
if dead = false then problems = true
What we should stay aware of is that Christ paid a great price for our salvation – and we’re slowly beginning to learn and integrate that this salvation is not as cheap as the complete removal of our problems. It’s not that easy, it’s not that cheap.
What we DO have in the body of Christ is the presence of peace IN these problems, or
if problems = true then peace = true
But wait, doesn’t this entail that the presence of problems is required for peace to be true? Or should we edit that to also indicate that peace is also true when problems are absent?
if problems = false then peace = true
But we already established earlier that only the dead are free of the problems of this world!
if problems = false then dead = true
if problems = false then peace = true
Are we coming to a conclusion that peace is present even in our death in this world? We can cancel or strike out ‘problems = false’ and we have:
if dead = true then peace = true
Putting it all together:
if dead = true then problems = false
if problems = false then dead = true
if problems = false then peace = true
if problems = true then peace = true
if dead = true then peace = true
Gosh, I don’t even know if I’m making any sense here, but I guess what I’m preaching to myself right now is that the peace we have remains true and real to us, whether we have our problems in this world, or if we face the death of our mortal bodies.
And a peace that goes beyond death cannot be given by a person, or a world that has no existence beyond death. This peace I’m saying we have is a peace that can only be given by Christ: He who was once prophesied as the Prince of Peace is the only One who could give us HIS peace – a peace that goes beyond death…
…and, lest we forget, this is not merely a ‘reactive’ peace that persists in death, but one that is ‘proactive’, bringing us to life.
I have reason to believe that the peace we have through Christ is one that not only provides us relief in death and problems, but one that revs us up to eternal life.
With all this said, when we DO find ourselves observing the quantity and quality of our problems being much more than we could bear, we are reminded of peace.
And this peace is one that holds us together, even having us thinking and considering the absolute worst that could happen at any given moment, but still leaving us calm and confident.
Consequently it’s a peace that not only allows us to get back up on our feet, but one that brings us to take step after step to a sprint, moving us again.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
When we’ve established with ourselves that it’s Christ who gives us the peace, then we would realize and appreciate how we have peace, because Christ has overcome in the first place.
When we are overcome, let us be reminded that Christ has overcome.
In the presence of our tribulations, let us be reminded that we have Christ, and Christ has us; and in Him we have peace.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”
John 14:1
To be honest, I’m feeling I’m going around in circles here – I’m sharing about peace because I need this peace, here and now. I need this peace – rather, I need to remember and appreciate this peace that I have, here and now, considering all the issues, problems, and tribulations I find myself in.
Positive thinking can only keep us sane for so long – I need to remember, here and now, of the presence of my Savior – He doesn’t merely give me peace and lets me go on my way, see. He IS the peace – and this Peace is not a mere thing, more of a Person who not only IS with me but CHOOSES to stay with me.
And all that’s left to do is to thank Him.
Thank You, Jesus, for Peace. I don’t know everything about everything that’s going on in my life and beyond, but You do. I am thankful because You ARE with me, and You are for me, and not against me – much so that in the worst of times, You tell me that You give me Peace, just as much as You gave Your life for and to me.
Thank You, Jesus. Thank You so much.
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