Colossians 3:15 says that the Peace of Christ should rule or act as an umpire in our hearts settling with finality the questions of our minds. (See Amplified Bible)
Merriam-Webster defines fear as:
“An unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.”
Merriam-Webster defines peace as:
“A state of tranquility or quiet: such as freedom from civil disturbance: a state of security or order within a community provided by law or custom: freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions: harmony in personal relationships: the state of mutual concord between governments: a state of concord or tranquility.”
The Hebrew word “Shalom” in the Bible is used to refer to a state of affairs, well-being, completeness, tranquility, prosperity, and security. Shalom is a blessing or a manifestation of divine grace.
In a world of fear and uncertainty about what a day may bring into our lives, peace seems to be a rare experience for many of us. We all fear or have experienced the following:
- The threat of nuclear war
- broken relationships
- broken homes
- broken lives
- loss of income, loss of transportation, loss of home, loss of health
- corrupt leaders at all levels of society
- addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, food, education, power, money
- theft, violence, lack of respect for human life
- natural disasters and cyber-attacks
- the threat of the demise of Israel and America which will lead to the New World Order and the Biblical Armaggedon
- stress at work, in traffic, at school, at home, at church
So we have fear in our daily lives. But when we look at the faces at the grocery store or on the street, we do not see peace.
Fear and stress cause the majority of health problems. Ulcers, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, the risk of heart attack among others can be a direct result of worry and anticipation of impending situations of which you have little or no control over.
Jesus said in Luke 21:26 that men’s hearts would fail for fear of what is coming upon this world right before He returns for His believers.
Aaron was commanded by God to bless the Children of Israel with peace.
- The Lord bless and keep you
- The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you
- The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you PEACE. (Numbers 6:22-17)
Jesus left a gift of peace for us before He ascended to Heaven. (John 14:17)
“I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
The world cannot give the kind of peace that God gives.
The devil deceives us into seeking the things of this world to quiet the stress and fears of this life. They are temporary fixes and only satisfy for a short time. As soon as the fix wears off, we have to seek another fix until addiction enslaves us.
The world governments will never find peace in a treaty. The only peace for world leaders is in Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace.
You and I will never find peace in the material things. The only peace for you and I is in Jesus Christ as our Lord and God. Jesus is the only one who can give peace to a troubled soul in the midst of a world of suffering and tribulation.
The peace of Christ is an umpire that constantly decides whether we are “safe” or “out.” “Right” or “wrong” in our daily choices.
His peace goes down into our “guts.” His Holy Spirit resides as rivers of living water flowing out of our innermost beings. (John 7:37-39) Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and where there is liberty there is peace. (II Corinthians 3:17)
How many times have you and I known deep down in our stomachs that what we were about to say or do was wrong? Yet, we chose to override that inner instinct and paid the consequences.
An engineer of a subway train in New York had an “inner knowing” on September 11, 2001. His gut told him to stop the train immediately. His brain said he could be fired for doing so without the proper permission. He did not know what was happening above ground. He obeyed his “instinct” and stopped the train. He later realized that if he had continued to drive his train, he would have arrived directly under the Twin Towers at precisely the same time it was collapsing into itself. His “gut” saved him and the lives of those on his train.
God’s Peace is not explainable. Paul says it surpasses all human understanding.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
God has promised peace if:
- we obey the teachings of Christ
- tell Him what we need
- thank Him for all He has done.
The world teaches you and me how to find peace via yoga, meditation, and positive confession. These can open us up to false gods (demons) to infiltrate your relaxed mind.
Only the Prince of Peace can give true peace to our troubled hearts and minds. Christ is the only way to the Father and the only way to Eternal Life.
Only as we seek His guidance each day, striving to obey His teachings, and give thanks for all He has done, will we begin to experience the “inner knowing” that all is right with our souls, even as the world falls apart around us.