Peace

Peace…it’s an interesting word when you think about it. You hear and see it a lot at this time of year. It is a ubiquitous word in Christmas greetings and cards. We use it each Sunday when we greet one another at “the time of the peace.” So what do we mean when we use it? Are we wishing for world peace…the absence of strife and war between countries and peoples? Are we wishing for a calm and tranquil soul within us? Are we searching for a quiet place away from all the noise?

True world peace would be quite something to experience, and would have far reaching implications that I’m not sure our current world systems could handle. World peace between nations and peoples would require a completely different way of using and sharing the earth’s resources, as populations would explode in our pursuit of less destructive politics and economics. I think we human beings may be too broken to affect that kind of peace. So in that sense, I believe that only in heaven can we attain that far-reaching goal. (Not that we shouldn’t try to move in that direction, because you never know…nothing is impossible for God.)

However, I do believe that we can attain that peace that Jesus gives us. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you,” He says in John 14:27. “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” In these words, which follow the earlier promise of the Holy Spirit, we are promised that Jesus has given us the ability to know peace…freedom from fear and a troubled heart. How many times does Jesus say in the Gospels to “trust in me?”

Have you ever felt so burdened down and your life seemed anything but peaceful? Of course you have. Have you ever just looked into your heart and offered those concerns up to God and said, “God, this is more than I can handle alone. I’m putting all this in your care because I know that you know what is good for me.” If you have ever done this (and truly meant it), did your heart not feel more at peace? When I actually do this, it truly does work for me. My problems are not gone, but my heart is more at peace and I can face the day knowing that someone who really cares for me, who really knows the ultimate game plan even when I don’t, has my back.

We have the ability to know peace and to wish that for others. When we let God into our hearts, and give our troubles and cares over to Him, God’s peace will fill our hearts where previously fear and worry resided. Because God encased Himself in human flesh and humbled his kingship into a dependant, impoverished infant we know that He understands all our worries, cares and sorrows. Because He conquered death and rose to a new life, we know that He is powerful enough to carry our burdens for us and walk with us, along side us, as we travel the paths of our lives to the destination He has planned for us.

So the next time you send a Christmas greeting card that says “Peace!” or wish someone “The peace of the Lord be with you” you can feel confident in knowing that your wishes are truly attainable. What a wonderful Christmas gift to give!

Peace!