The Peace of the Spirit
Many of us are walking through life these days with a myriad of thoughts and feelings about how life is going. Some are enjoying returning to winter activities, to increased community events, and to more social environments; others are facing loneliness, discouragement, or heartache. The season we are in is a mixed bag for many, so how can we move in step with Jesus to have His strength, peace, and hope?
There are many good-sounding answers to this question which we peddle as churches and Christians, but often they feel like pat-answers / like band-aid solutions; while they sound helpful in the moment, they feel empty in the day to day. My goal here is not to offer a simple solution but to invite us to today step closer to our Father in Heaven.
How do we do this? I offer these words of Jesus for our reflection … this is John 14.26-27 …
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:26–27, ESV)
Ahead of this, Jesus says He is “the way, the truth, and the light”. Following this, Jesus describes Himself as the “true vine” by which we are nourished and by which we flourish. Sandwiched by these descriptions of who Jesus is, He promises the Holy Spirit as our Helper. It is this “help” available to us that enables us to walk with Father in the most meaningful of ways no matter what is consuming our thoughts and emotions.
It is the Spirit who fills us in a situation where we are called to be bold in our faith, but it is also the Spirit who encourages us in the darker moments of life where we struggle and hurt. It is the Spirit who gifts us with situations and abilities to serve others, but it is also the Spirit who enables us to remember God’s truth or to know what to say in moments we feel lost. The Spirit provides us with both strength / endurance but also peace (the peace that is beyond our comprehension – as described in Philippians 4.7).
It is this peace that is also promised here. It is a peace that “guards” our minds and hearts / our thoughts and identity. It is a peace that overpowers our doubts and fears. We speak of the peace of Christ; I do not mention it here as a pat-answer but as a reality available to us when we walk daily with Him. The more we learn to live by the Spirit, to align our lives with Christ, to fix our thoughts on what is godly and loving, the more we know His peace.
This peace is not the lack of problems or challenges but rather the sustaining presence and strength of Christ within them. My prayer is not for a lack of problems but rather for the ability to engage with Christ from within the challenges we face. My prayer for us is that we personally encounter Christ not only in the moment we put our faith in Him but in our everyday lives – including today. May you know the encouragement and peace of Christ!
* As shared on Shepherd’s Voice.