on peace
John 14:27 — “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Have you ever been with someone who is so at peace that nothing seems to shake them? They could walk by a rattlesnake on the side of the trail, and it wouldn’t faze them. It’s like you are surrounded by a warm blanket and don’t have to worry about anything bothering you. That kind of peace—a heavenly peace, the kind that nothing can disrupt—is what it feels like. When you are in their sphere, you feel safe, covered by a blanket of peace.
I have seen even the craziest kids become calm when they get to experience this kind of peace in a therapy setting. I have felt this. I come to a stillness a focus. My heart stops racing. My worries cease. All that is in focus is the present. Nothing unimportant matters. I am able to be still, be present, and just be.
This kind of peace is offensive to our hustle, competitive, striving society. But what if this is the peace that keeps us sustainable, thriving, and able to avoid burnout?
The peace that passes all understanding.
The peace that is not as the world gives.
The peace that comes from who God is.
The peace that is an assurance in the midst of storms,
and chaos,
and confusion,
and that calms the storms.
I have heard it said that peace is quiet joy.
If this is the peace that passes beyond the natural and brings nourishment to the weary, striving soul, bring it on.
It seems like we all need a little peace and healing from trauma. We work so hard at this life. Society has come out of COVID, but is still on guard, as if we are waiting for the next bomb to drop.
We do our best, and sometimes it’s still not enough. And then you have to go back to Rest and Peace. Because you and I can’t heal ourselves. We can’t simply wish ourselves into grounding. We need the Source of all peace—the One who truly grounds us.
The kind of peace that isn’t swayed by whether people like you or not. Whether you are well received or not. The kind that is truly grounding in the identity of who you are.
When you are coming up for air after fighting constant problems, like flies you’re senselessly swatting at but never really killing, this is the only peace that matters.
When Isaiah tells us that God “keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You,” it is a song of hope. It speaks of the strong city that God builds for the righteous.
All-knowing AI (joking) states:
“Waiting in Distress: Historically, the original audience in Judah faced severe threats, political instability, and the looming reality of judgment and exile. The prophet writes to reorient their gaze away from surrounding geopolitical threats and toward God as an eternal refuge.”
May we return to the Peace that heals. The Peace that soothes the soul. The Peace that is the Source of all comfort and grace. The Peace that is able to heal the lingering PTSD that the threats of the world seek to give us.