His peace my life.

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:18 (NRSV)

 

Everyone longs to see peace in the world and in their lives. We long for safety and security, to know that everything will be alright. And yet, at every level of society, from intimate family relationships to complex political and economic systems, we live in a chronically anxious world. Rarely do we engage the world around us with the courage and security that comes from our place within the Kingdom of God. Instead, we have allowed this chronic fear and anxiety to live and flourish within our hearts and lives in countless ways affecting our ability to live a Kingdom lifestyle of peace.

 

When I think of the life of Jesus, I think often of his remarkable ability to maintain a state of peace, even in the midst of extreme chaos, fear, and uncertainty. From the vulnerability of the stable, to the raging storm at sea, all the way to the pain and suffering of the cross, we see the Lord embody perfect peace in every situation.

 

In "The Imitation of Christ", Thomas Kempis offers this prayer for peace that says, “Grant me, above all else, to rest in You, that my heart may find its peace in You alone; for You are the heart's true peace, its sole abiding place, and outside Yourself all is hard and restless. In this true peace that is in You, the sole, supreme, and eternal Good, I will dwell and take my rest.” Thomas reminds us that our hope for secure dwellings and quiet resting places is when we place our desire for peace in Christ alone and being known by Him.

 

Just as Jesus found His peace in His intimacy with the Father (see John 14), so too are we able to find peace in any trial when we find our life and rest in Him alone. Though we search far and wide, anything other than Christ will leave us restless and unable to navigate the storms of life that come our way. In His earthly ministry, Jesus lived a life of peace in times of trial, a life of security in times of great uncertainty, and a life of rest in a restless world. As we find our life in Him we are able to do just like our Lord.