Finding Peace: A Tiny Word that Makes All the Difference
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Looking for peace? Who doesn’t want peace, right? No matter what’s going on in the world around us, don’t we all crave peace inside us? Don’t we all we want to be at peace no matter our circumstances, challenges, struggles, obstacles, state of our relationships, etc.? We do, don’t we? There is ONE WORD in the Bible that makes ALL the difference when it comes to finding peace, and it’s a word so tiny and seemingly insignificant that it would be enormously easy to simply overlook it. That’s what I did for years.
Jesus doesn’t promise us an easy life when we place our trust in Him. In fact, He promises us the exact opposite. He says we will have TRIBULATIONS. Ugh. Trials and tribulations. That’s the last thing on earth we want, isn’t it? How can we possibly find peace in the midst of a life full of tribulations? Furthermore, what could a two-letter word so seemingly unimportant that any of us could miss it in a heartbeat have to do with finding peace?
If you read John 16:33 as quickly as I did for years, you will more than likely cruise right past the word. One day, the Spirit of God took a hold of me and brought the word to my attention. Then He placed it on my heart countless others need to take notice of this word also.
The word? IN. Listen to Jesus’ words. “IN the world ye shall have tribulation (upper case added).” How can we possibly find peace in hard and challenging circumstances? I know I never have! The truth is we can’t! Here’s what Jesus says. “IN me ye might have peace (upper case added).” Right as I was writing this, I became totally agitated over a little situation. Almost immediately, I laughed. God was reminding me of what I was writing about. Our peace is not found IN our circumstances; our peace is IN Christ. We do not find peace IN our trials. We find peace when we focus on God and His Word, when we learn to rest in Christ, when our hearts and eyes are on the cross, on Christ’s resurrection, on God’s love for us, on the hope of eternity with God through faith in Christ, when our attention is on almighty God and His holiness and righteousness, when we cleave to the Lord and not to the world, when we walk in His ways instead of our wicked ways, when we love the Lord with all our hearts and minds and lean back on God’s everlasting arms. Peace is IN the Lord. We are not called to place our trust IN this world, but IN the Lord.
In Christ is your peace. The peace nothing on this earth can touch.