Peace

I wake up on this cool, overcast Sunday morning with my thoughts turning towards a fruit of the Spirit that I so rarely take hold of. It is the subject of peace that I want to focus on for my first entry here.

In Christ’s own words, He told His disciples and us: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.” In prior books of Scripture, it is stated that “Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on Thee.” Paul writes that “the peace of God…shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What is peace? Certainly it would not be fair or true to call peace ‘the absence of trouble’, for Christians would be the laughingstock of the earth if that were a correct statement. Neither is this topic of peace referring to the lack of war, conflict, or strain between nations, tribes, or individual people.

Rather, I think that the peace that Christ and the writers of Scripture refer to is the calm, quiet assurance that my God is in complete control of the universe and my life. It seems to me that peace rests firmly in this truth – the sufficiency and sovereignty of Christ.

The writers of the New Testament have penned words such as “My God shall supply all your needs…”, “All things work together for the good of those who love God”, and “be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, let your request be made known to God.” Time and time again in the last couple of months, I have been reminded and humbled by His provision in my life.

And yet it seems there is a missing connection between my mind and heart. For my mind is well aware of the truth of Christ’s control of the universe, His ability to meet my needs, His love and care for me. But too often I find myself doubting or worrying about something so small, so insignificant, so ridiculous. J.I. Packard suggests in his book “Knowing God” that as we get to know God and how sovereign He is, our problems begin to fade in their importance.

My God created the universe – the galaxies, planets, stars. He created the world that I live in, setting the sun and moon into patterns that support life on the planet I live. The living conditions here are exactly perfect for my needs – the amount of oxygen in the air, atmospheric pressure, and too many others to list. And He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground – something so much smaller than me. I can and should rest in His sufficiency in my life. For peace lies, not in the absence of turmoil or the lack of trouble, but in knowing God, in following Him, and in fixing my eyes on Christ.

The peaceful place - and best place for that matter - at the present moment is right where God wants me to be.