The Peace of Christ

The Peace of Christ

“Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”  (John 14: 27)

This is one of the most delightful promises of Jesus.  His gift of peace.  Christ spoke a great deal about peace.  After his resurrection, peace was the special gift he bestowed on his demoralized followers.  Today again, apart from offering me this special peace, not like the world’s, Jesus also exhorts me not to let my heart be troubled nor to be afraid.

What does the peace of Christ, shalom mean to me?   It means interior calm, a restful mind, unruffled by any event; it means confidence that God is directing me step by step in everything and that God is protecting me moment by moment everywhere and at all times.  It means the opposite of what satan induces in people:  anxiety, worries, feverish restlessness.

Do I have the peace of Christ?  I thank Jesus that I do.  I want more of this peace.  I still find my heart troubled or afraid about certain things.  The day I wrote the above in my journal in 1996, my heart was troubled by family relationship, money and food.  My first reaction on that day was not calm.  But my anxiety was healed when Jesus said to me that morning:  “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”  (John 14: 27)