Peace I leave with you

Our dear Lord said in John 14:26-27, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

This word in Greek is eirene used to describe peace means "the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is."

This is the third trait of the fruit of the Spirit, coming after love and joy.

The first peace that Jesus left with us is the peace with God - because of His death, we have made peace with God and thus can go boldly before Him and call Him Abba Father. This peace comes as a result of our salvation by faith.

The peace that Jesus gives to us is the antidote to worry. That's why Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." This peace allows one to be untroubled in the face of difficult circumstances. It is peace that allowed Jesus to sleep soundly in the boat while a storm was raging on the outside.

Many Christians at various times of their life also do not have this peace. We are prone to worry.
Even the disciples in the same boat with Jesus worried beyond rationality and did not have this peace when the storm raged.

The Lord is leading me through a journey of experiencing this first hand in recent months. I am learning again that peace is not the absence of fear and challenges. In fact, it is quite the opposite. His peace becomes most apparent in the face of adversity. Instead of assuring me that He will remove the difficulties, He assured me with Deuteronomy 31:8, "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

To have this peace requires faith. And faith being the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen, means that we have to trust Him especially when we are in the valley and cannot see the light at the other end.

Oswald Chambers called this total abandonment to God - "But once you do surrender, you will no longer think about what God is going to do. Abandonment means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions."

He also spoke of gracious uncertainty - "Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life— gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring."

Paul wrote in Phil 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

While I still have struggles, I want to declare that I am depending on the Holy Spirit as my Comforter and Counselor to give me the peace of God. Only then can I push forward positively, only then can I have good sleep every night and only then can I face tomorrow with joy and peace.

Peace is indeed a trait of the fruit of the Spirit that we have to learn to accept.

God bless.

Steven