All over the world people are longing for peace, but many are far from it. I think of Israel who is surrounded on every side by Islamic terrorist groups like Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Houthis whose agenda is to annihilate them. My own country, the United States, is being drawn into growing conflict on multiple fronts: a proxy war with Russia via Ukraine, allied defense of Israel, escalated tension with Iran, and opposition with China as it maneuvers to retake Taiwan. On a smaller scale maybe you too are surrounded by conflict and opposition. At times do you feel the weight of sorrow, suffering, striving, or stress? Does loss, anxiety, poverty, bitterness, anger, envy, or covetousness gnaw at you? Are you burdened for yourself or for others? Do you wonder when will things change? Do you ask, when will I find rest, comfort, and security? In other words, do you long for peace?
True Peace Comes from God
At first you may think that peace comes when adverse circumstances are settled or your problems are solved. However, in our fallen world of broken people who are bent on satisfying themselves, there will always be something unsettling either within you or outside of you. True, lasting peace transcends you. The path to true peace on a personal scale or a global one is not striving to fulfill yourself or even to eliminate your problems. The root of your problem is your self-centered rejection of God. Therefore, the solution to that must come from outside yourself. Instead of by fulfilling yourself, peace is actually found in denying yourself and receiving help amidst your problems. True peace comes from God. As you yield your will to his will, he heals you from within as only he can. He forgives your sin, fortifies your weaknesses, transforms you into the likeness of his son, Jesus, and imparts the power, wisdom, grace, love, and endurance to work through any problem. In the process of walking with him by faith you experience his joy, hope, purpose, and peace now and forever as part of his royal family.
With that said, there are some practical disciplines you can develop to help foster peace like limiting distractions, setting boundaries, reducing stress, taking time to relax, being thankful, staying positive, finding joy in simplicity, and asking for help. But the deep peace that your soul longs for requires a divine solution beyond yourself. Complete and lasting peace is through a personal relationship with the source and giver of peace, Jesus. He is calling you, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus Brought Peace to Believers
At Christmas we celebrate God’s gift of peace which is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to earth to save anyone who trusts in him. Isaiah, the prophet, foretold of Jesus’ coming. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (Isaiah 9:6). The angels sang of this centuries later when they announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds outside Bethlehem. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:11). Jesus brought peace 2,000 years ago when he stepped down from heaven, became a man, lived a righteous life, died an innocent death to pay for your waywardness, and rose victoriously to conquer sin and death. By his humble birth, sacrificial death, and mighty resurrection Jesus enables people to break free from the deadly bondage of their wrongdoing and self-centeredness and be reconciled with God (Romans 6:23-24; 1 John 4:10; Colossians 1:9-20). The path to peace is not self-fulfillment or the abundance of things. It is self-denial—a yielding to God by faith which leads to discovery of who God is and who he has designed you to be in Jesus. Only through Jesus can you find rest for your soul and experience abundant, everlasting life. He is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to God the Father except through him (John 14:6). God created you and loves you. At tremendous cost to him he held nothing back to secure the best for you which is to be with him, to be like him, and to do what he does. Apart from him nothing can satisfy the God-shaped void in your heart. You, like every one of us, has rebelled against God to live life on our own terms. Your wrongdoing separates you from God. Only by trusting in Jesus’ righteousness, can you be made right with God.
Jesus Brings Peace Now to Believers
Jesus is the Prince of peace. You can know peace now by knowing him. Only he can save you from your self-afflicted wrath, forgive your sin, heal your brokenness, mend your soul, redeem your circumstances, and empower you to live rightly with hope, joy, purpose, and love. He wants you to bring him your praise and your concerns. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7). Jesus gives you his peace so you can be at peace with God and others. Receive his peace by trusting and obeying him. Then pass his peace on to others (Romans 12:18).
Jesus Will Bring Peace to Believers
Although in his first coming Jesus made it possible for believers to experience spiritual peace at the core of their being, when he comes back to earth Jesus will bring peace externally too, throughout his creation. After Jesus’ resurrection he ascended back to heaven and gave his Spirit to believers to experience his peace and power in order to make a difference in their lives and the lives of those around them in this yet unredeemed, fallen world. Soon, in God’s perfect time, Jesus will make all things right. He will return to earth as he promised, to consummate his kingdom (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:6-11; Matthew 24:30-31). He will reward believers, judge unbelievers, vanquish evil and establish righteousness and peace forever. He will create a new heaven and earth and dwell among believers in perfect peace. Unbelievers will be cast out from his presence and peace, because they chose to reject Jesus. Tragically they will suffer perpetual torment which is all that is left when one is separated from God, for he is the source of all that is good, right, and loving (John 3:16-21; Revelation 19:11-21:8). Don’t reject Jesus or wait to turn to him. Experience Jesus’ peace now by faith and look forward to even greater peace when he returns.
Conclusion
This Christmas and every day, whatever may be troubling you or stealing your peace, take it to God and leave it with him. Thank God for who he is and for the wondrous gift he has given in Jesus. Set your mind on godly things and not on earthly things. The apostle Paul exhorted believers, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). To experience peace fix your eyes on Jesus rather than on your self or your circumstances (Hebrews 12:2). When you do you will come to the same understanding as the prophet Isaiah who wrote, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:3-4). Find peace and refuge in Jesus. Then help others do the same. Merry Christmas.