Peace? Amidst This Craziness!?

What comes to mind when you think about the word "peace"?

Lying on a private beach, listening to the ocean waves lapping against the shore?

Cuddling up with a good book next to a cozy fire in a quiet house? 

Hiking through the woods with only the sights and sounds of God's Creation surrounding you?

Strolling with your husband/wife through freshly falling snow while the rest of the world sleeps?

Maybe it has to do with the season of life I am in, but any image of "peace" I can conjure up has to do with quietness... as in no little kids running around, making noise, clamoring for my attention.

"Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart."  -Catherine Marshall

That's a nice quote, Catherine Marshall, but do you have young kids at home? If so, it must have been a long time ago!

This is probably a good time to confess that I do struggle with anxiety. What triggers it? Lots of chaos. Lack of order. Messes everywhere. Lots to do and not enough time to do it. Lots of kids making lots of noise. You know, the events that make up the majority of my life right now.

I read this verse in my quiet time this morning, and it caught my attention, for obvious reasons. 

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.

not as the world gives do I give to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

John 14:27 -NASB

These were Jesus' words to his disciples not long before His Crucifixion.

"My peace I give to you," says the Prince of Peace Himself. Wow. How do I get some of that?

I used Vines Expository Dictionary to further understand the kind of peace Jesus is referring to. Is he referring to that peaceful feeling you get on a quiet beach?

Partly. He is referring to "a sense of rest and contentment." 

But not the "sense of rest and contentment" that comes 

   from being alone or

        from being on top of things or

           from having calm children. 

It's "the sense of rest and contentment that comes from the harmonized relationship between God and man, accomplished through the gospel."

When our hearts find a restored relationship with

     our Maker, 

          the Lover of our souls, 

               the One who gave His only Son to bridge the gap that separates      

                    our sinful hearts from His Holy Majesty,

then we find peace. A security. A knowing that all will be well - will be perfect in fact - when we arrive in our true home, where we will spend Eternity with our Father. Our Savior. 

A knowing that all is well in the meantime, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. 

     We know that God is good. (Psalm 136:1)

          We know that God is Sovereign. (Psalm 103:19)

               We know that God is for us. (Romans 8:31)

These truths provide a shelter for us in the midst of any storm. In the midst of any amount of chaos.

"I do not give to you as the world gives to you," Jesus said.

What does the world give us? Trouble. Fear. Anxiety. Lies.

Lies that we have to be in control in order to experience peace. Well, that doesn't seem to be a very good deal. We can't control the weather. We can't control what the people around us do (try as we might). We can't control what happens to the people we love. We can't control which diseases take over our body. We can't control what disasters may occur around us. If we believe this lie, we will never be at peace!

God is the Creator of the Universe, 

     the Sustainer of all living things, 

          the King of Kings, 

               the Sovereign Lord, 

                    the Ultimate Victor over sin,

                         over death, and 

                              over the Enemy.

And I have an intimate relationship with Him. They say "it pays to know people in high places." Well, I know the One in the Highest Place. He promises never to leave me or forsake me, a promise no one besides God can keep. 

This gives me a peace - a calm - a sense of rest and contentment in my heart that cannot be shaken by messes or noisy kids. Nor by diseases nor disasters. Not even by a breach in national security. It's a peace that transcends all understanding. (Philippians 4:6-8)

Do you have peace in your heart today? It's available to you, too.