Peace From Jesus

Parting words have a special significance. Before Jesus left the upper room, anticipating His arrest and crucifixion, He left a promise of peace. Although the few days would be unbelievably turbulent, He wanted their hearts to be at rest and contented. The world, flesh and devil would tempt them to be afraid but He wanted them to know that every circumstance was in God’s control.
 
The peace which Jesus gave His disciples was not based on an absence of conflict or uncertainty; there would be much of both in the future. But neither was His peace passive: the disciples had to choose to manage their hearts by trusting that the Lord would have authority over everything that opposed them. Peace would come as they trusted the Lord; it would be the result of their relationship with Him. They would be sure that their sins had no power to accuse them, and that their Saviour was also their protector. So they need not fear God’s anger, the devil’s taunts, the world’s hatred or their own weakness.
 
Anxiety can be a habit, founded on yesterday’s bad experiences. Jesus commands us to manage our hearts according to His promises. We must teach our hearts, from the Scripture and with prayer, that ‘we can do everything through Christ who gives us strength’ (Philippians 4:13) and ‘I will trust and not be afraid’ (Isaiah 12:2). In other words, we have the responsibility to actively believe His promises and refuse to believe lies. This is not just self-discipline. As we trust God’s promises in the Bible and depend on Him, so His peace grows inside our hearts – it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, and real evidence that we do belong to Jesus. And as you learn to live in relationship with Him, your friends and colleagues will notice too! They will appreciate you not being stressed out, and may want to find out why you have changed.