Facebook PagePastor’s Newsletter Article
This is the latest of the articles Pastor Richert writes for the monthly church newsletter.
What Is Peace?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines peace as “a state of tranquility or quiet; freedom from disquieting thoughts or emotions; harmony in personal relations; a state of mutual concord between governments.” Each of these nuances of peace describe peace as the absence of something — conflict, stress, anxiety, worry, war. This is the world’s peace.
Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” Jesus’ peace is the presence of something — Jesus. We can have the world’s peace as long as all of our circumstances are what we would want them to be. But we can have Jesus’ peace even when all of our circumstances are not what we would want them to be.
Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you may have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 15:33). Jesus defeated the power of sin so that we could experience peace through Him. Jesus’ peace is the genuine sense of well-being we can have no matter what our circumstances are, because we know that God is in control and is working all things for our good (Rom. 8:28). That’s what peace is!
