Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus does not HAVE peace?
He IS peace.
I think sometimes we view peace as a denial of the circumstances going on around us or simply refusing to live in reality. There are times when I can feel worry, fear, and anxiety on the rise and I say to myself, no, I am peaceful! I am going to be peaceful for goodness sake!
Sometimes those declarations are a necessary step in the right direction, but I know I am not truly peaceful.
But here is something to consider.
If Jesus is peace and Jesus lives inside me, then shouldn’t I always have peace?
I think sometimes where we miss it is that we think peace is going to come from somewhere outside us. We mistakenly think that peace is when all our circumstances line up in the right way and nothing bad is happening. However, as long as we live in a fallen world, then our circumstances will never line up exactly the way we need them to experience ongoing peace. Peace has to be an inside job. Peace comes from having faith in Jesus that He will do what He said He will do rather than having faith that everything will fall apart.
In Mark Chapter 4, we find a wonderful illustration of how Jesus remains calm in the face of a storm versus how his disciples processed the storm. The story begins in Mark 4:35. Jesus tells His disciples that they are getting in a boat and crossing to the other side of the lake. Now, understanding who Jesus is, the disciples could have heard His words and realized no matter what happens, we will get to the other side. Jesus just said we are going to the other side of the lake. But then an unexpected storm came up. The Bible does tell us that this was not your average storm. This storm was particularly strong and vicious. We also know with hindsight being on our side, the storm was demonic in nature to prevent Jesus and his disciples from crossing and having powerful deliverance take place in the region that was their intended destination.
When the storm approaches, we do not see Jesus anxiously pacing the deck. We do not see Jesus gathering his disciples for an emergency prayer meeting. We see Jesus sleeping in the stern, resting on a cushion. Did you catch that? Jesus was asleep. He wasn’t in denial of the circumstance. He already knew He had victory over the storm. The assignment was to cross to the other side, and that is what He was going to do.
The disciples, however, had a different perspective. They were definitely worried and anxious and had dismissed or forgotten Jesus’s words that they would make it to the other side. When they found Jesus sleeping, they were not pleased or calmed by his actions. Mark 4:39 “So they shook him awake, saying, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to die!””
For us and the help of being able to see the whole story from start to finish, we understand that their response was purely out of anxiety. The storm was terrifying for them. Instead of trusting what Jesus said about getting to the other side or understanding that if Jesus was sleeping during this storm there was nothing to be afraid of, the disciples woke Jesus and began to accuse Him.
Jesus’s response was to get up and silence the storm. He didn’t rebuke the storm because he wanted peace. He rebuked the storm because he HAD peace.
At the end of vs 39, Jesus says to the storm “Hush! Be still!” The note in The Passion Translation says that these sentences in Aramaic are translated, “Peace. Submit to the will of God!”
How would our lives be different if, in the midst of the storms of life, we looked at those storms and said submit to the will of God?
Think of a recent storm in your life or a storm you are walking through right now. Can you change your perspective on the storm? What if this storm is from the enemy to slow you down or trip you up in your journey with the Lord? What if instead of trying to reason out why this is happening or trying to figure out why God is allowing this in your life, you looked at the storm and said Submit to the will of God.
In John 14, we see Jesus himself saying to his disciples. John 14:27(TPT) “I leave the gift of peace with you-my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts – instead, be courageous!”
Jesus was showing his disciples that when the world offers “peace of mind” it is fragile. This kind of peace is dependent on circumstances lining up a certain way or even limited to what we can see as mere men and women. It is not the supernatural peace inside of us that has a knowing that no matter what happens, we have God. Therefore, all will be okay.
Remember friend, God is always for you, never against you. He loves you more than you can understand. I encourage you today to invite peace into any and all of your circumstances where you are worried or anxious or fearful. Lay down your right to understand why you are experiencing these circumstances and allow God to give you peace beyond your understanding. It will change you!
Check out these other posts on Calm
How to Calm Anxiety When Overwhelmed by Lisa Crowder https://lisacrowder.substack.com/p/how-to-calm-anxiety-when-overwhelmed
Shift from Stressed to Calm by Ashley Olivine https://ashleyolivine.com/stressed-to-calm/
Simple Is Better – Yearning for Calm When It Keeps Running Away by Dianne Vielhuber https://simplewordsoffaith.com/2023/06/01/simple-is-better-yearning-for-calm-and-when-it-keeps-running-away/