In the following post, Cindy Ketner reflects on the Peace we have in Christ. Cindy is an elders’ wife, the mother of two beautiful daughters and serves faithfully at Salem Chapel. Read the first Advent Devotional, Jesus Brings Hope and look for more devotionals by Cindy in the coming weeks.
At Christmas we celebrate the peace that came through the birth of Christ. In the words of the Christmas carol, “Hark, the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king. Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.” Jesus brings us peace with God and because of that we can experience real peace in our everyday lives.
According to the Bible, peace with God is only possible through Jesus, the Messiah, “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isa 53:5) We have peace with God because of the suffering and death of our Lord. We speak of this with such over familiarity that we sometimes lose the huge impact of what Christ accomplished, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”(Eph. 2:14) It really is amazing to think that we can bluster right into the presence of the Almighty! And we do it all the time without a thought!
This peace with God is the foundation for any kind of peace in life. If we haven’t taken the first step of trusting Jesus (and all that involves), all of our attempts at peace will at best be temporary. Unfortunately, even those who have taken this first step of peace with God don’t always experience much peace in their lives either and therefore are limited as salt and light. Of course, I speak personally. There is a difference between having peace and feeling peace. We crave peace and contentment so much so that we often seek it in counterfeit ways such as escape. There are many acceptable ways of escape from our problems, but unfortunately the escape routes lead to more problems. This peace through escape is a false peace. It’s a fleeting peace that flies out the window when my to-do list is too long or when I’m faced with conflict in my relationships.
True peace is a gift and, at the same time, we must do something about it. We take steps toward it, by his grace, and he floods it over us, more than we could ever muster on our own. Philippians 4:6-7 reveals this two way street, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” There is a promise here, but there is also a call to action. It’s impossible to will anxiety away without prayer. And knowing we might confuse worry with prayer, the Lord says, “with thanksgiving.” When we make the choice of thanking God “in all things” our perspective changes and we are finally able to begin trusting instead of worrying.
Jesus lived his life with complete trust in the goodness of God. In the gospels, Jesus’ life never seemed rushed, stressed, worried or anxious. Once, during a storm, he was ASLEEP in the stern of a boat. (Mk. 4:35-41) That was an amazing peace, and a bit perplexing to his disciples. Somewhat dismayed, the disciples shake him awake, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” His response shows us the source of his peace, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Then he demonstrates why they shouldn’t be afraid. He calms the storm and all is still. As creator he knows all about energy and has the ability to alter it. He shows his kind of “care.” When they said, “don’t you care,” they probably had in mind bailing water or stellar boat maneuvers. But this is our God, the one who can and will fly to our rescue. Our souls are safe in him. The disciple’s response is nothing short of wonder, awe and worship. They have a worship service right there in the boat. Let us, like them, worship our Prince of Peace this Christmas; the one who brought us peace with God and wants to fill our life with his peace.
