For some reason, there is a common misconception that when we choose to follow Jesus, our life will be easy. But, we can see in Scripture, that is not the case at all. Jesus said Himself, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” (John 16:33) I don’t say this to scare you off, so stick with me!
Jesus did not leave His rightful place in Heaven, die a criminal’s death, and raise from the grave to make our lives easy. He did these things so that we could have eternal life with God, never separated from Him, in glory, once our life on earth is done. But what about those trials and sorrows Jesus told us we would face while we’re here? Do we just watch, wait, and suffer?
We all have been through, or are going through, times where we feel like our peace is missing or has been stolen. We think that if things were different we could finally have the peace that Scripture promises we’ll have as followers of Christ (Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. 2 Thessalonians 3:16). The good news is that we don’t find our peace in the absence of problems, we find it in the presence of Jesus.
The Greek word for peace is eirene, which also means wholeness. Jesus didn’t come to take away our problems or to help us feel better about things, He came to restore our relationship with God- to make it whole. If we’ve put our trust in Him, we believe He is unchanging, faithful, and good. He is worthy of our trust. When we focus on Him instead of our problems, we see that Jesus is our missing Peace.
Here is a great reminder from Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
Having perfect peace, no matter what comes our way, sounds pretty amazing- but it can only come when we fully focus on Jesus and completely trust Him with everything. So, even though we might feel like our peace is missing, we can hold tightly to the truth that Peace is a Person and we can rest in His presence.
