Missing PeaceSample

Missing Peace 

The year 2020 will probably go down in history as one of the most unpopular years in many of our lifetimes. From a global pandemic to growing awareness of racial injustice to political tension and division, it’s been a challenging season. Many of us feel like our peace is missing, or maybe even like it’s been stolen. 

But what if it’s not our circumstances that steal our peace—what if they just reveal the lack of peace we already had? 

When times get challenging, we have a way of idealizing the past, thinking that if only our experiences were different then we could finally be happy and find peace. 

And yet, every year, it seems like we’re still longing for peace. So while we should acknowledge how challenging this season has been, we can’t blame it for every struggle we face. We also can’t discount what God is doing, even through the chaos. 

So, what is peace? How do we find it when we’re divided and anxious and uncertain about the future? 

The good news is that peace isn’t found in the absence of problems. It’s found in the presence of Jesus. 

Ephesians 2:14 reminds us that Jesus came as our peace. Not just to give us peace but to truly be our peace. In fact, the Greek word for peace is eirene, which also means wholeness. Jesus didn’t just come so that we could feel better some days. He came to restore us—and our relationship with God—to wholeness. 

Our peace is tethered to the presence of our unchanging God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is constant. He is good. And He is worthy of our trust. 

We won’t find peace in our changing circumstances or by seeking it out on our own. Jesus is our missing peace, and when we stop fixating on our problems and instead fix our eyes on Him, we will begin to experience peace that guards our hearts and surpasses all understanding. Just look at this reminder from Scripture: 

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT 

Perfect peace sounds pretty incredible, right? But it comes when we focus our thoughts on Jesus and give Him our complete trust.

So, peace may feel like it’s missing or far off. But the truth is that peace is a Person, and when we trust in Him and keep our thoughts on who He is, we will find it. That doesn’t mean that we’ll always feel happy or that we’ll never experience anxiety or fear. It does mean that we know how to find peace when we struggle, because peace is a byproduct of God’s presence.