Longing for Peace - Jeremy Thom

Fall is such a relaxing season. The leaves begin to fall, cooler air takes over, cozy blankets and sweatshirts prevail, and all seems to be at peace….

…until you stop staring out the window and turn around. Kids started school again, new teachers to figure out, back-to-school nights, sickness, more homework than last year, new sports or drama or concerts or all of the above. Parents trying to navigate the new stresses and the current teen-age drama, while still trying to manage their own schedules. Leaves to rake (so many leaves) and a whole list of household to-do’s that was supposed to be complete before the rains came…rain is expected tomorrow…ugh…and let’s not forget all that is going on in our neighborhoods, our cities, our country, our world, Jesus, where is the peace that I keep hearing about?

So often I find myself longing for peace, which really just means that I want a break from the chaos. It’s not wrong to want this type of peace. In fact it can actually help us grow in our desire for heaven. But this isn’t the kind of peace the scripture is often talking about.

Romans 5:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

Biblical peace, or shalom, is about taking what’s broken and restoring it to wholeness. Whether it’s in our lives, our relationships, or in our world. Jesus Christ has given us an opportunity to restore our broken relationship with God. He has given us access to the Father and by faith we stand in his grace.

Peace with the Father is the most important peace we could have. And while it may not seem like this peace calms the chaos of our busy lives, true peace is the lens through which we can look at the rest of our lives and remember that Jesus as taken care our greatest chaos, and whatever life season God has you in now is an opportunity to boast in the hope of the glory of God and share access to the same peace that Christ has made available to you. 

It is possible to be peace-filled even though things around us may not be peaceful. This is the gift that God gives us when we trust in him. He implants in us a peace that goes beyond understanding, a peace that guards our hearts and our minds (Phil. 4:7). Why do our hearts and minds need guarding?  Because the chaos around us continues and it has a way of infiltrating God’s blessings in our lives. But it doesn’t have to. 

This Fall, look out your window, put on the cozy sweatshirt or wrap yourself in your favorite blanket, watch the leaves change colors (maybe you shouldn’t stare out the window that long), and take a deep breath. When you breathe in, remember that God has given his peace to you. He’s given you a peace of restoration with him, and he’s given you a peace that guards your heart and mind, making you truly peace-filled. The world can’t offer this, only our God, through the sacrifice of his Son, can.

Peace, shalom, is what our God gives. It’s what God does. It’s who God is.

 

Jeremy Thom 
Campus Pastor | Hope City Church