Take Up Your Crossनमुना

True Peace

I once had the opportunity to drive a new Corvette Stingray on a test track. My only instructions were, “Make it pretty.”

I was used to driving a beat-up Chevy Cavalier. I had never been behind the wheel of such an expensive high-end sports car. Once my hands stopped shaking, I took a moment to just sit in the cabin. I marveled at how beautiful the interior was. The seats gave me a soft, yet firm hug and whispered in my ear, “Trust me, I’ll hold you through the curves.”

When I finally turned the engine over, the roar made my heart skip a beat. I slammed the accelerator to the floor and the drive was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I had a blast.

When I was given the keys to that car, I was given the ability to accelerate faster, corner sharper, and stop harder than I ever had before. Once I experienced what driving could feel like, I had a hard time returning to my old Chevy Cavalier.

When Jesus promised to give us peace, He didn’t just offer us any peace. He offered us the keys to His peace. His perfect, unlike-anything-you-have-ever-experienced-before, peace. He offered us the same peace that allowed Him to face all of the struggles of His life, including the cross, with poise.
His peace came from an unshakeable trust that His Father’s will was perfect and good.

His trust was verified after the crucifixion when God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20-21).

This is the peace that Christians have access to. Too often however, we take the keys of Jesus’ peace, but then drive away on our own. Our peace is inadequate and fleeting. It cannot stand up against the struggles of this life. God’s peace can, but we will need to trust Him to do the driving. That can be hard because most of us prefer to be in the driver’s seat.

What areas of your life are causing you the most stress?

What is preventing you from resting in God’s peace?

For more help read, “Anxiety: How Can I Cope?” on FamilyLife.com.