Description

People tend to define peace as the absence of hostility or anxiety, but biblical peace means so much more. It's a sense of wholeness and inner contentedness that brings stability to one’s life. This kind of serenity comes only from God through a relationship with His Son, Jesus. Only in Christ can we enjoy oneness with God, and with each other. This post explains the key to finding and maintaining this kind of everlasting peace.

"Prevailing Peace During Conflict" by Dr. Charles Stanley

John 14:27

Conflict is part of every person’s life. A common problem today is that most people don’t know how to deal with conflict—nor do they understand the source of real peace. As a result, we have become somewhat ignorant. We see the issues around us, but we often choose to ignore them. It seems that most people have a common goal of avoiding conflict at all cost.

People tend to define peace as the absence of hostility and anxiety, but the biblical term actually refers to something far broader. The Greek word eirene means “to bind together.” So in today’s verse, peace has the sense of wholeness or inner completeness that brings stability to a person’s walk, regardless of what is happening in his or her life. Jesus spoke not of the kind of peace that comes today and goes tomorrow but of prevailing, or undefeatable, peace.

The key to lasting peace is found in a relationship. If you want tranquility that is unending, you need to build a relationship with Jesus Christ. We, too, can enjoy the oneness that He and the Father experienced. When the Lord says, “My peace I give to you,” He is not referring to a loan. His peace is a free gift, available to every one of His children.

If we focus our attention on the Son of God, then He will give us perfect peace (Isa. 26:3). That does not mean we are immune to sudden shocks or occasional times when we are thrown off balance by circumstances. But the power of the Lord’s prevailing peace is adequate to carry us through anything He allows us to experience.

Read
Philippians 4:7

Pray
Lord, I want Your peace. I trust You, and I trust Your Son, so please fill me with Your everlasting peace.

Reflect
How do I define peace?

Respond
Concentrate on the sense of wholeness and inner completeness that a relationship with Jesus brings. If you don’t have a relationship with Him, then start there, because you'll only know contentment in Christ.

You can experience serenity even when you have conflict in your life, because peace isn’t about the absence of conflict. It's about the stability of your walk with Jesus. It’s about knowing God and knowing who you are in Him. If you don’t know Jesus, then now is the time to learn who He is so you can start learning the difference between how a believer experiences peace and how the world understands it. The next post will help you discern the difference between a believer’s and an unbeliever’s peace.