The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

By Dean Collins

Someone will challenge what I am about to suggest, and that’s okay. But before you do, I hope you will wrestle with it, pray about it, and lean into it for a while before you dismiss the idea.

 We will never have peace in our lives and in the world except through Christ.

 We live in a world where the absence of peace is everywhere. There are the big issues, like the war between Hamas and Israel. While the current situation is a few months old now, the lack of peace in the Middle East is not a new problem. 

 Of course, we cannot talk about peace or the lack of it without discussing the ongoing war between Russia and the Ukraine. And for most of us here in the U.S., we continue to watch as our government leaders disagree about what we should, could, or must do to help bring peace to these areas. Do we supply weapons? Do we take sides? Do we assist directly? Do we negotiate agreements? Is it possible for warring political parties to come to a peaceful agreement on how to assist in bringing peace to regions of our world in war and great conflict?

 Peace means so many things to all of us. Is it really a peaceful, easy feeling we are looking for? Are we looking to simply have a quiet mind? We have seen wars start and end through the centuries, but sometimes the seeds of war sprout even before one war ends.

 Philosophers write about peace. Psychologists discuss peace. Governments try and negotiate peace. Every religion has some path toward discovering or living in peace. Yet with centuries of discussion and study, along with a multitude of practices to assist us in having peace, the world doesn’t appear to be making much progress in creating and maintaining peace.

 At the end of John 14, Jesus said this: 

 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

 I think we would all agree that Jesus is true to his word. Hours before his crucifixion, he said that he was leaving us peace. He didn’t hide it, so it can’t be located. He told us, “My peace I give you.” We are to note that he distinguished his peace from the peace that is available from other sources in the world.

 As Jesus finished his thought, we should note that when we receive his peace we can live without troubled hearts and without fear. So, what is this peace according to Jesus?  Peace is not simply the absence of conflict. That tends to be where we get hung up. If things are right with our spouse, our kids, at work, in the church, in the government, in the world, we think the absence of conflict in those places for a moment or for a season means we have achieved peace.

 What Jesus teaches is that by surrendering to him, we are reconciled to our Creator which leads to being reconciled with self and with others. Peace is first and only achieved in and through our identity in Christ.

 A word from the prophet Jeremiah seems appropriate for our understanding. In chapter six, Jeremiah said that the priests and prophets have healed the wounds of the people lightly, saying, “Peace, peace,” where there was no peace. In other words, the leaders were offering solutions that were basically Band-Aids. They did not fix the condition of sin. Jeremiah then called for the nation to look at the ways of God and follow them. They were to repent and follow God’s way instead of trying to manufacture lives that they hoped would bring them peace.

 In Romans 5:1, Paul declared that when we are justified by faith, we have peace with God. Only a right relationship with Jesus will ever bring us the peace we are hoping and striving for.

 This same apostle, while in prison after years of hardships and difficulties, declared that we can rejoice in the Lord always. Paul went on to say that the Lord is at hand. In other words, he is present in this moment, and he will be with us in every moment, both now and forever. In this same passage, there is a section of scripture that I have memorized and pray every day:

 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 There are and will continue to be many trials in this world. Family issues, health, work, finances, and on and on will stir us up. Some of these issues may have come about because of our mistakes or others’ mistakes, and some come simply because bad things happen in a broken world. In those moments and in general, we are to go straight to the Father in prayer and make our requests bathed in a genuine gratitude for God’s presence. He is with us, he is aware of our struggles, and he will take whatever we are willing to let go of. He works when we sleep. He moves when we are still. He speaks in ways and places where we have no access.  His access, strength and resources are unlimited.

 When we hand over our control, our pain, our fears, and trust him, then we can experience what Paul knew to be true in his own life: The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

 And finally, as we live in peace with God, we can focus on sharing or passing his peace on to others nearby and far away. As we share the good news of Jesus through the whole world, the world will one day, finally have peace.

 Father, forgive us for trying to fix things we have no capacity to fix. And the biggest of these problems is our problem with sin. Thank you for Jesus, who paid the price for our sins that we might be reconciled with you. We surrender ourselves, along with our problems and fears, to you. We are grateful for who you are and for what you have given us in Christ. Today we will rest in you, trusting that your peace will guard our hearts and minds until you come again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 Your Time with God’s Word
John 14:27; Jeremiah 6:14-16; Philippians 4:4-9; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Romans 5:1 ESV

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
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