Do Not Let Your Hearts be Troubled
Did you know that Jesus used the greeting of peace (Peace be with you.) only 3 times in the scriptures and every time it was after the resurrection? Through His death and resurrection, Jesus had conquered Satan. The reign of God and the reign of peace over anxiety and fear has been the victor.
Indeed, Jesus spoke of peace before the resurrection, but as a greeting, it is used only three times. All three times were when Jesus appeared to the disciples when they were afraid and hiding out in an upper room. All three times, they were suffering and without direction. And, all three times, it was a greeting that was meant to echo a line in today’s Gospel, John 14:27. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.”
I had a dear friend who is now with God, and she always said, “If you pray, don’t worry. If you worry, don’t pray. She actually had it on a plaque near the door to her home. For many years it bothered me because it seemed to mock me every time I saw it. I considered myself a faithful believer. Yet, when a crisis came in my life (as it does for all of us), I immediately gravitated to anxiety and fear and not to the peace that Jesus promised.
When I was younger, I assumed there must be some significant flaws in my faith. Obviously, I was not trusting God enough, because my faith and the Gospel did not propel me towards peace in an instant, I experience pain or grief. Instead, I was immediately thrust to anxiety, fear, and a sense of abandonment.
Over time, I have come to realize that believing in Jesus does not mean you will automatically have a leg up on feeling peace-filled in adverse circumstances. So what’s the difference between the peace the world gives and the peace that Jesus promises.
The world’s peace is temporary, Jesus’ peace is eternal. We live in a world of instant gratification. When something is wrong in our life or our heart, we want it fixed now. From something as simple as taking a painkiller for a headache to feeding our addictions, we want relief, and we want it now.
If I feel empty or lonely, I rush to fill the emptiness with whatever will sate my loneliness. But whether that is a shopping spree, a meaningless relationship, or even a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream. The “fix” is temporary, and the loneliness or anxiety returns, often with more power than before.
If we instead, when we are overcome with fear, anxiety, loneliness, or emptiness, run to Jesus, we can find the peace that Jesus gives. We can find healing for our souls.
I admit the first solution for dealing with our anxiety and pain often sounds more attractive and more pleasurable. But if I trust enough, in my moments of loneliness, grief, loss, or emptiness to go to Jesus, I can find a sense of peace, I could never imagine.
By no means does Jesus promise it will be easy, but when I surrender to Jesus in my weakness, he will help me find the root of my fear and pain. He will wrap the anxiety with his healing hands and give me peace that will last.
No doubt, this is the less pleasurable solution, but it is more effective and longer-lasting. It is the peace that Jesus promised. That is the peace I seek.
In God’s Unending Love,
Gwen
