Finding peace when you have none.
We made it through Christmas! No more awkward office parties, small talk with the in-laws, running around buying gifts, or attempting to bake two dozen extra cookies. Basically, no more stress, right? I wish. Now it’s the new year and we’re supposed to lose 15 pounds by next week, set goals for our job, and become our best self in five easy steps. Stressed yet? Stress is something so many of us deal with on a daily basis. One recent study said that 70% of Americans show physical and psychological signs of stress. Like 7 out of 10 of us are going crazy!
One recent study said that 70% of Americans show physical and psychological signs of stress.
Our schedules are maxed out.We’re constantly striving after something.Social media makes us feel terrible about our lives.Whenever we turn on the news the world is ending.We wonder if maybe something is missing. Whether it’s fear or worry or things in our lives are just not right, so often there’s a constant tension and stress inside of us. So, how do we find peace when we don’t have any? Is rest a myth? Is true peace possible? The answer: yes. How? Jesus!
The answer: yes. How? Jesus!
How do we find peace: Jesus.Run to Jesus.Stay close to Jesus.Remain in Jesus.Follow Jesus.How do we get and have this peace? Jesus. But that sounds too simple, right? And for some of us longtime Christians we might want something deeper than that. But I just look at kids—the ones Jesus told us to look at—and when they’re hurt, when they’re scared, overwhelmed, or stressed what do they do? They just want to be close to mom and dad. They just want to be near them. And that brings peace. Just like a mom or dad can bring peace to a kid, so too can God bring peace to us, His children.
Just like a mom or dad can bring peace to a kid, so too can God bring peace to us, His children.
But Jesus isn’t just a peaceful person. Instead He’s the very source of peace. He’s where all the peace comes from. And being in His presence brings us supernatural peace.And in case you're wondering, we don’t serve a far-off, distant God. He’s not a God that’s hard to find. Instead He’s a God that so loves us that He sends us Jesus. And even His name, Immanuel, means God with us. So that’s how we get peace: Jesus. But once we’ve received it, what do we do with this peace? Once we’ve experienced for ourselves the unexplainable peace of Christ, what should we do with it?Give it to others. It’s as simple as that. Once we receive it we want to, we have to offer it to others.
It’s as simple as that. Once we receive it we want to, we have to offer it to others.
You see, God’s peace, the peace that comes from Jesus, it starts inside us, but it was never meant to end there. Instead His peace was meant to impact our relationships. It was meant to change the way we talk to strangers. It was meant to completely alter the way we treat people who are different from us. Through our words and our actions and our attitude, God’s peace should spill out of us. On to others. Not only when life is perfect, but even when life is imperfect.Not just with people that we love, but even with people who annoy us.Not just on our good days, but even on our bad days. Even in the most stressful situations, we should be bringing God’s peace to this person and that person and the next person. And we might think, well that’s impossible. I’m not naturally a peaceful person. And have you met my crazy coworker? My spouse? My neighbor? They’re so hard to love. So how is peace even possible? That brings us back to answer #1: Jesus. How do we get peace: Jesus.What do we do with it: bring it to others.
How do we get peace: Jesus.What do we do with it: bring it to others.
It’s possible that in this new year you don’t have much peace right now. On your own you’re broken, stressed, and anxious. But thankfully, we’re not on our own. God is with us and He offers us His peace. His peace that surpasses all understanding. His peace that doesn’t make sense. Jesus longs to offer us His peace, to us and through us.