How to have peace

‘I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world.’ John 14:27 PHPS

Jesus said His peace is a gift. That means you don’t have to work for it and you cannot earn it. You cannot psych yourself up for it, and you cannot ‘try really hard’ to obtain it. No, it’s a gift you must accept by faith. Jesus also said that His peace is unique from what the world provides. In the last 3,500 years, the world has only been free of war for 286 of them – that’s less than 9 per cent. This world’s peace doesn’t last. Jesus told His disciples, ‘I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world. You must not be distressed and you must not be daunted’ (vv. 27-28 PHPS). He spoke those words just before He went to the cross. So, God’s peace is not regulated by circumstances – it’s an ‘inside job’. Have you ever heard someone say, ‘I need to get away’? This is sometimes known as a geographical cure. You think if you leave where you are and go somewhere else, you will have peace. But it doesn’t work, for wherever you go, you take yourself with you. Have you ever been so tired that your body collapsed into bed but your mind wouldn’t turn off? Well, you can get away and find peace! How? Jesus gives us the solution: ‘You may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33 NLT). Where can you find peace? Jesus said, ‘In me!’ Today, spend time with Him.

Prayer Point

Lord, when I find the world overwhelming, and I’m struggling to find peace, help me to remember that You have overcome the world. Keep my heart close to You, and fill me with Your joy and perfect peace. Amen.

Acknowledgements: Meyer, Joyce, New Day, New You: 366 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life (Brentwood, TN: FaithWords, 2007), 166.