Peace is a word that has taken on a variety of meanings, some of which have been confusing. I grew up in the 1960’s and 70’s. The Cold War and its potential dangers were on the minds of most Americans. The Vietnam War was raging with daily updates of the lives lost. Many people I knew, including my sister’s husband were being drafted into the army with the consistent threat or losing their lives in battle.
In the streets of America, there was a demand for peace. But here is the confusing part. They were using violence to convince the government to assure peace. Rioting, looting, firebombs, cars tipped over, these were all part of the call for “peace”. To me, this communicates just one thing, what the world defines as peace is simply having things go their way. Unfortunately, this is not how life works. Jesus reminds us of this in John 14:27, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Jesus also said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This seems contradictory. Jesus assures us that we are guaranteed to live in peace in this world, but then also says we will have trouble.
We know that God’s Word is dependable and applicable in every situation. What Jesus is declaring is that as fully devoted followers of Christ, we can have peace in our spirits despite the circumstances around us.
Let me illustrate it this way. When I was very young, Dad had the great idea to dig a basement under our existing house. I remember him digging a ramp in our front yard that led below the house and then began tunnelling out what would become the basement. One afternoon, the warnings were issued for a tornado to come through our area. Mom took my sisters and I down in this “basement” which was nothing more than a big hole. However, Dad was not yet home from work. As the storm raged overhead, the screen of the local drive-in theater landed in our front yard. The storm was intense! I was very worried about Dad. As we watched for him, we saw him park out front and begin sprinting toward the ramp that would lead to the safety of the basement. As he joined us, soaking wet from the rain, I will never forget the overwhelming sense that now that Dad was here, everything was going to be fine. The storm was still blowing things around outside and even moved our garage off its foundation. However, we were safe in the middle of the storm.
This is the promise for the believer. Jesus does not always calm the storms in our life. Instead, he allows us to face those storms with the assurance that we are safe in his love and care, and we are secure in our hope for eternity.