Peace in a Troubled World

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” —Is. 26:3

We live in troubling times. Lately, all a person hears on the news is more threats of the corona virus, the heated political scene, and conflicts within and without our country. The fright and panic people exhibit over the corona virus especially makes me think of history’s descriptions of the bubonic plague pandemic—it seemed to come from nowhere, people went to extreme lengths to avoid getting it, there was no known cure, and it killed a lot of people indiscriminately. Of course, now we know where the bubonic plague came from (infected fleas), how to avoid getting it (avoid being coughed on or bitten by an infected flea) and we now have a vaccine to fight it, so it’s no longer a problem, but in its time, it was hailed as judgment from a vengeful God, and everyone was terrified of getting it. Sounds a lot like our society’s reaction to the corona virus, doesn’t it (minus the judgment part maybe)?

Let’s be realistic for a minute: is the corona virus any more deadly than AIDS? Or the flu? Both of those diseases have been around for years, they kill hundreds, even thousands, worldwide, and we have yet to find a cure for either of them, yet we are so used to them that they no longer fill us with the dread they once did. I think it’s the same with the corona virus—it’s scary because it’s new. It just popped up out of nowhere seemingly, people are dying, and we don’t have a cure, so society in general panics.

But give it time. In a few years, it will just be another deadly disease that scientists are working hard to crack or have already cracked, and mention of it on the news will be no more terrifying than the flu deaths that are reported regularly every winter. In the meantime, wash your hands frequently (especially after touching public surfaces), use your Lysol, don’t get coughed or sneezed on. The precautions to prevent it are the same as for the common cold (which also has no cure, by the way).

My point in all this is that we humans tend to get amped up about a lot of different things, and when something is unknown or uncertain, we really get excited! But Christians don’t need to fall into that trap; indeed, we shouldn’t. We live in a very uncertain world, and the illusion of security is just that—an illusion. The illusion is especially strong here in the United States because we don’t face a great deal of persecution for our faith (yet) like our brothers and sisters all over the world do, and we live in a fairly prosperous society, where most of us don’t lack for any of our basic needs. But that doesn’t mean that things can’t or won’t change in an instant. Our security is an illusion, because it is provided by the world around us, and the world around us is a very unstable thing.

When Jesus was preparing to face the cross and trying to prepare His disciples to deal with the hours and days to come, He told them, “Peace 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” (John 14:27, NIV). Notice He said, “Not…as the world gives.” Jesus understood the fragility of worldly peace and security, and He made sure His disciples knew His peace is nothing like the peace the world gives. His peace is not an illusion; it is real, and it stands in spite of what is happening in the world around us. It is true peace.

What do you picture when you hear the word “peace”? The image that always comes to my mind is of a painting I once saw or heard about—I can’t remember which, but I’ve never forgotten the picture. It’s of a storm-lashed coast, black night, waves crashing against high cliff walls, a ship tossed about and torn by the raging hurricane, and very small, in one corner of the painting, high up on the cliff, sheltered from the storm, sits a very small white dove on its nest, calmly waiting out the storm while it protects its eggs underneath it.

That dove represents peace. The elements are raging around it, yet the bird is completely calm and unaffected by its circumstances. That’s the kind of peace Jesus was talking about, a peace that is not dependent on circumstances, a “peace that passes all understanding” (Phil. 4:7) because it completely befuddles the world; they just don’t know what to make of that kind of attitude in the midst of trials and troubles.

How do we as children of God acquire this peace? From a human point of view, such tranquility in the middle of trouble seems unattainable, but that doesn’t stop us from trying. People look for peace in their family or friends, in accumulated possessions or prestigious jobs, in positions of power or attempting to control their environment, yet their endeavors are doomed to fail. True peace comes from God. Remember Jesus said, “My peace I give you.” It can only come from Him.

True peace starts with having a right relationship with God. When I know that my sins are forgiven and I have complete access to the throne of the Father, my joy is complete. Nothing in this world can change that fact, and that is a source of godly peace. Add to that the confidence I can have knowing that my God is in control of every circumstance of my life and nothing occurs to me outside of His plan, and His plan for me is good, well, maybe it becomes a little bit easier to understand why a Christian can be at peace when the world around him or her is falling apart.

But there is one more aspect of this to consider. True peace comes when our focus is not on worldly things, but on the things of God. That verse I quoted at the beginning of the blog? It’s one of my absolute favorites. I have it on a picture hanging right next to my bedroom door, so that I see it every day as I go into and out of my room. I need that daily reminder because all too often, I focus on all the things that are going wrong in my world (and since I’m somewhat of a control freak, that can be very minute things at times) instead of the wonderful riches in grace and mercy that I have in Christ.

When I start stressing over the little things that are going wrong (i.e. not the way I want), the Holy Spirit whispers to me this verse: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” That word “steadfast” gets me every time; in context it means “focused on one thing, not allowing one’s attention to wander from that one thing”. The KJV translates it as “stayed on Thee”, i.e. focused on God.

That’s the secret to keeping that peace that comes from God. It starts by having a right relationship with Him, but it is maintained by keeping our focus on Him. Because when our focus is on Christ, the things of this world, its trials and troubles, its empty promises and illusions, assume their real importance—none at all.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  —Romans 15:13 (NIV)