Jesus said…

'I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So do not be troubled or afraid’. John 14v27

 The world craves peace. War torn countries, starving children, abusive homes and loveless marriages. Teenage girls trying to compare their growing bodies to the Instagram girls on their search page. The latest devastating act of terrorism, politicians name calling and newspaper headlines screaming fear into our lives. The drive to succeed, financial pressure, keeping up with the Jones. The single person who would give anything to be married, the married couple who would give anything to be parents. Bereavement, cancer, addiction and homelessness. I could go on.

 

You can seem to have it all together and still be lacking peace.

 
When I read this verse a couple of days ago I was struck by one word. I was struck by the word GIFT. Jesus said He was leaving us with a GIFT. When I give a gift I give it with joy, to someone I love with the desire that they will enjoy what they receive. I do not hold it high in the air for them to jump for; I do not hide it behind my back. A gift is freely given to bless. God is not hiding peace from us.

 

So why is peace not a daily experience for us? Could it be that we are not receiving this gift properly?

 

Many things can get in the way of knowing peace. Speaking from experience, discontentment and a need to be in control are probably two of the biggest barriers to me feeling God’s sweet gift of peace on a daily basis.

 

Peace is not the absence of problems or pain. Peace is not a natural reaction to tragedy, whether personal or in the wider world. Peace can certainly be hard to feel when your life is falling apart and the greater world around you, with its natural disasters and senseless acts of violence, is portrayed on 24 hour news stations.

 

God’s word tells us in John 14v27 that the peace God gives is a peace the world cannot give. If we are looking to the world we live in, indeed to ourselves for peace, then we will not find it. The world is decaying. Romans 8 says that all creation is ‘groaning as in the pains of childbirth’ and that ‘the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay’. Politicians and world leaders, whether by that you think of Beyonce or Mr Tump, cannot give us peace. They are humans, imperfect and fallible, especially when they don’t know the Lord. Our husbands, parents, friends and bodies will all let us down. We cannot expect to receive peace from anything in the world. 

 

Peace is a gift that Jesus gives. So to receive peace you need to know Jesus, to accept His death on the cross for your sin and His glory as He rose to life again. Knowing Him is a daily process that involves relationship, speaking to Him, listening to Him and reading His Word. It is an amazing, wonderful relationship that changes your life and the lives of those around you.

 

But many Christians, me included, often choose to live without peace. So how do we accept this gift that Jesus promised to give?

 

Earlier in chapter 14 of John, Jesus talks about another gift He was leaving the disciples with. In this chapter it is described as the ‘Advocate’, otherwise known as the Comforter, or Encourager, or Counsellor. Verse 17 says ‘He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth’. The Holy Spirit is part of God himself who makes His home within us (v23). When we commit our lives to Christ, God’s Spirit comes to dwell in us, teaching us and reminding us of everything God has told us in His Word. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we have any power to change into God’s likeness. And power we have indeed! Romans 8v11 says ‘The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you’.

 

We can only know peace if we are in relationship with God’s Spirit. Do we have un-forgiveness in our hearts or are we still making room for sin in our lives? This grieves Gods spirit and we are unlikely to feel peace. Are we focusing on our problems, our lack or being ungrateful? It is difficult to have peace when our mind is not focused on the King of Kings.

 

I am blessed in that I can count the truly difficult seasons of my life on one hand. God has shown me great mercy in my life and protected me from so much, things that many of you reading will have gone through. But like every human on the planet, I have been faced with difficulty, and peace is not a natural reaction in these times.

 

I remember being about 14 years old, involved in a dance for a conference, and the lady who had organised the event (who terrified most of us!), turned to me in the middle of speaking to the group and said ‘you have a very tender heart’.

 

This has remained true for me. My heart cares deeply and loves fiercely, but it is also very easily disappointed and bruised. In the times of my life when I have faced rejection, disappointment and sorrow I could easily find myself bitter, impatient and discontent. I can easily become consumed with the things I desire, to the point where my life feels empty without them.

 

Whilst I have experiences the above emotions, I have also praised God and trusted Him regardless, and Lord willing that will be the way I face any future hardships. As I find myself starting a time of waiting just now, it can be so easy for me to feel sad and disheartened. But the other morning as I read this verse, God’s spirit nudged this sense into my heart of what He wanted me to focus on in the next few months. That is PEACE. He has given me it is a gift, and He desires that I receive it.

 

When we face situations we have no control over and are forced to let go of the wheel and wait, we can turn away from the Lord or we can turn to Him. Instead of just passively waiting we can choose to actively wait on the Lord. We can choose to use seasons of waiting as a chance to grow in whatever area He wants to prune us in. For me this is peace. I am actively praying that these next few months will be seasons of peace for me.

 

Just the very act of letting go of your own desires and dreams is peaceful when you acknowledge whose hands you are placing them into. God’s word say He has good plans for our lives, that He can turn any situation for our good and His glory and that we are His treasured possession whom He loves. God is infinitely more able than us. He holds eternity in His hands, He is good and glorious and faithful and He is so AWESOME and BEAUTIFUL and MINDBLOWING. And yes, letting go of control even when we know this can be hard. God’s word also says we will suffer as His followers. We may never receive what we long for.

 

But the more I read His Word and fill my mind with worship and put on His armour and actively wait on His goodness, the more peace I feel. I can be honest with the Lord and say it is hard when I see others receiving what I pray for, but I can also pray for them and bless them and love them, knowing that if this hasn’t happened for me already it is because it is BETTER FOR ME NOT TO HAVE IT RIGHT NOW. I’m letting that one sink in!

 

I can have peace when the world seems to be falling apart because one day Jesus is coming back. He will not abandon us His people. He will redeem us and this broken world. I am at peace because the battle belongs to the Lord. I know my Father God and He is fierce and victorious as well as gentle and gracious. He means EVERYTHING to me and I know I do not need to be troubled or afraid when I know he is walking beside me.

 

The enemy is the father of all lies. Do not listen to anything that God would not say about you, especially when that voice seems to come from yourself.

 

Comparison is a thief, and something I have really let into my life the past few months. I am learning that God made me uniquely, with a story and journey that not one other human has ever lived, or will ever live. The only time I need to be concerned with other people’s lives is when I am praying for them and blessing them!

 

Join me these next few months in soaking up Gods peace. Be still and know Him. Wait on Him. Trust Him. If you receive what you are praying for, rejoice. And if not, know you have received an even greater gift. The gift of God himself.

 

(If you have no idea about some of the things I have talked about, please message me. I grew up going to church so sometimes I can use language that might not make any sense to you. Just holla if you want me to try and explain it a little better!)

This August I got to take part in Total Warrior with some of my best friends, and it was amazing! Who knew being covered in mud was so fun!

Shout out to Zeems for helping me with my cramp on the top of an obstacle.

#truefriendship