“Peace isn’t the absence of conflict. It’s the presence of
God.”
-
Carey Nieuwhof
The more I learn about peace the less I see it as a
destination. It’s not something you arrive at or something you achieve.
I feel like a lot of times in life we think that, like
other desired traits, we can do enough to have peace. And on the contrary,
that circumstances can pull us further away from peace. We use language when we
talk about peace that confirms this:
“Are you at peace
with ____ ?”
“______ is stealing
my peace.”
“I’m just not in a peaceful place.”
I think the biggest thing that is going to create a more
peaceful reality within us is realizing that peace is not a destination - Peace
is a presence within us. More specifically, Peace is the presence of God.
The bible shows this in John 20:
“…Jesus came and stood among them
and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ … Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be
with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when he has
said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’.”
(John 20:19b, 21-22)
If you look at the language of this passage it is saying “Peace
be with you”. Or in other words “Be with Peace”
When you invite someone to come somewhere with you do you
say, “Be with the beach”? or “Be with me”?
A lot of times, I feel like we forget that Christ is less
interested in religion and more interested in relationship. We get caught up
thinking that we can do enough to get to a point of peace, of joy, of security.
But the bible teaches something different. It teaches that He is (our) peace,
joy, security.
We are looking for a where and what when we should be
looking at the Who.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that He speaks, “Peace be
with you,” moments before breathing the Holy Spirit into His disciples.
I believe the Holy Spirit is the peace that we’ve been
trying to reach, and He’s been inside us the whole time.
How else would you explain peace in the cancer ward? At the
funeral? In the heat of the worst situations of peoples lives?
Do you think they’ve reached a place of peace? or maybe it’s
that they just know the embodiment of
Peace in the Holy Spirit freely given to
them by our good, good Father.
