Stand firm then…
with your feet fitted with the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace.
Ephesians 6:14-15
What comes to mind when you hear the word PEACE?
A throwback to the sixties:
A deserted beach at sunrise:
The majestic view from the mountaintop:
Maybe for you, peace isn’t a symbol or a place, but just the absence of conflict.
It’s a family reunion – or a church business meeting – where we “all just get along”… making it through dinner with no one spilling their milk … or perhaps it’s as simple as a clear kitchen counter or clean bathrooms.
Spiritually speaking, of course, true peace is only found in the person of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1 says:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our sin puts every one of us at war with God, but Jesus brings us peace with Him.
That’s the good news. That’s the gospel.
It’s a truth that transcends the challenges of this world and settles our destiny for eternity. It not only brings confident hope for that day, it brings peace for this day, too.
Because we are His, we have gospel shoes. We get to walk in those shoes. We get to walk in peace.
PEACE is the third of the nine traits describing the fruit of the Spirit. But what does walking in peace mean for us today? How do we appropriate God’s peace in our lives?
Let’s first consider what it’s not.
In John chapter 16, Jesus gave us a heads up that we can expect trouble in this world, but that we can have peace in the midst of it:
“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.”
John 16:33
From His words, we can conclude that trouble is the opposite of peace. Our own personal experiences prove that true.
Today’s trouble may be a morning alarm that didn’t go off – or a smoke alarm that did. It may be an overdue bill, a rebellious child, or a malignancy. It may be financial, relational, or medical. But we can wholeheartedly agree that trouble is seldom (and some would say never) peaceful.
But even as we walk through times of trouble, we can walk in peace if we know Jesus.
We are reassured by these words from the book of Isaiah:
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3
April’s Write the WORD verses are centered around PEACE, which seems fitting for this month as we prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate our risen Savior. Easter season is a time for worshiping Jesus as our Prince of Peace.
We pray His peace surrounds you and overwhelms you, regardless of your circumstances.
I’ll wrap up with a phrase I saw on a t-shirt this past weekend:
Write The Word: PEACE – Standard Bookmark
