Faith

Perfect Peace

by Jennifer Woodley 
05/16/20
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‘“I leave the gift of peace with you – my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace.”’ John 14:27 (The Passion)

Jesus does not give us a peace that resembles the peace offered by the world. His peace far outweighs that. It is not temporary or transient. It is not here one hour and gone the next. It is eternal. And it is perfect. It is not found in doing something, but in being with Someone.

What is peace? It is a state of calmness, tranquillity, order. But even more: it is Shalom. This includes the notion of completeness, fulfilment, wholeness, harmony and well-being. Jesus gives us an inner peace. In Him we have the knowledge and understanding to keep ourselves strong in the face of discord and stress.

There are many good, practical solutions for finding peace. As a chaplain, I share with children ways to calm down and take control over anxiety and stress. They are all useful instructions. But I believe the most critical instruction is missing. Jesus is the real peace giver. Only His presence offers perfect peace. All other methods to attaining peace are just band aids. Real stresses created by the real life problems of this world, need an answer from outside this world. It is ridiculous to believe that Shalom could be reached by practicing a set of positive steps offered by a culture that contributes to our anxiety and worry.

Where are we searching for peace? Only Jesus offers the peace our hearts hunger for. As we continue to practice being in His presence we will experience and enjoy the perfect peace He freely gives.

Jennifer is an Australian freelance writer who enjoys encouraging others on the journey with Jesus.