By: Leah
‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ -John 14:27
These were words Jesus spoke the night He was betrayed and later sentenced to death. They have been turning over in my mind this month. When I read them, I hear many different messages. Let’s explore some of them in this blog.
First, ‘Peace I leave you, peace I give to you…’. Peace is not a place but a person.
It’s not a destination we arrive at and stay. In Isaiah 9:6, the prophet describes Jesus the Christ as the Prince of Peace. When Jesus said to his disciples, peace I give you, He had the authority to do that because He was giving of Himself.
Next, Jesus said, ‘My peace I leave you, not as the world gives’. God’s peace and the world’s peace are not the same.
This quote implies there are two types of peace: one from Jesus and one from the world. When we accept Jesus into our heart, peace is no longer something that happens to you; it’s something that is within you. When we focus on Jesus and His words, the peace on the inside transforms our world on the outside.
Lastly, ‘Do not let your heart be troubled, neither be afraid’. Partnering with peace is a choice.
Choosing peace is a daily, continual decision of fixing our eyes on a person and what He accomplished on the cross. In Hebrews 12:1-3 it says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him…”
Once, I was feeling particularly grumpy about some parenting responsibilities. The more I focused on the problem, the worse it became and all solutions seemed to evade me. I felt stuck and hopeless with no sense of peace. However, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper the correction: “Are you going to focus on what the enemy is doing or what I’m doing?” He gave me the verse Isaiah 26:3 to recalibrate my focus. “You will keep them in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon Him because they trust in Him.” I heard a quote once from a teacher named Greg Mohr. He said, ‘You must choose to esteem the cross more than any pain and loss.’
Let’s choose to consider or focus on Jesus and allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts. (Philippians 4:7)
Is there something God has been speaking to you about? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to chat with me in person on a Sunday or email me at leah.h@sanctuarychurch.uk.
Thanks for reading. Be blessed.