Peace in a World of Turmoil

In the middle of our chaotic world, where headlines scream of wars and conflicts, where personal storms rage in our hearts and minds, there stands an ancient promise that echoes through the centuries: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Peace. It's the word on everyone's lips, the desire of every heart. In recent months, ceasefires have been negotiated, conflicts have ended, and nations have laid down their arms. Yet despite these temporary reprieves, true peace remains elusive. We sense it in our spirits—the world's version of peace is fragile, temporary, conditional on circumstances that can shift like sand beneath our feet.

Understanding True Peace

To grasp what genuine peace means, we must look beyond the English dictionary definition of tranquility and calm. The biblical concept of peace is far richer, deeper, and more transformative than mere absence of conflict.

In Hebrew, the word "shalom" encompasses total well-being. It speaks of safety, prosperity, favor, protection, provision, and blessing. When God promised His people in Leviticus that if they walked in His statutes and observed His commandments, He would give them peace in the land—this wasn't just about political stability. It meant their whole lives would be touched by divine blessing. They would eat bread to the full, dwell securely, lie down without fear, and see their enemies put to flight.

The Greek understanding of peace, as revealed in the New Testament, focuses on the cessation of hostility and the restoration of broken relationships. This is the peace that comes through reconciliation—when that which was opposed is now unified, when enemies become friends, when the dividing wall of hostility is torn down.

But here's the profound truth that changes everything: peace is always associated with God's presence among His people.

Peace as God's Gift of Himself

The most remarkable revelation about peace is this: Christ Himself is our peace. It's not something external to Him, not a commodity He distributes, but the very essence of His presence. When Jesus told His disciples, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you," He was offering them something the world could never manufacture—His own presence.

This is why the Holy Spirit's fruit includes peace. When the Spirit dwells in us, He brings peace because He brings Christ. The presence of God in our lives is the wellspring of genuine tranquility, the source of that deep calm that weathers every storm.

Remember when Jesus slept peacefully in the stern of a boat while His disciples panicked as waves crashed over the sides? When they woke Him in terror, He simply spoke: "Peace, be still." The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. This is the kind of peace available to us—not the absence of storms, but the presence of the Storm-Calmer in our vessel.

The Conditions of Peace

While God's covenant of peace is irrevocable for those in Christ, there's a practical dimension we cannot ignore. Peace with God comes through faith in Jesus Christ—this is non-negotiable. We were once aliens and strangers, hostile in mind, separated by the wall of our sin. But Christ's death on the cross killed that enmity. Everything that caused offense between us and the Father has been put to death at Calvary.

Yet there's more. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians: "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Notice the condition: practice these things.

The spiritual disciplines—daily Bible reading, prayer, worship, living in community—aren't just religious activities. They're the mechanisms that facilitate peace in our lives. When we desperately need calm for our troubled minds, when storms rage within and without, we must push pause on the chaos and focus on these practices. They create space for God's peace to reign.

The Way of Peace

Following Jesus means walking the way of peace. "Blessed are the peacemakers," Jesus declared, "for they shall be called sons of God." But peacemaking isn't passive—it's an active pursuit. We're called to strive for peace with everyone, to pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding.

This demands something radical from us. Sometimes we must take responsibility for things we didn't do in order to make peace. We must let others win arguments that don't matter. We must release our grip on our rights, our need to be first, our insistence on being proven right. This isn't compromise of truth or the gospel—it's the humility of Christ who emptied Himself for our sake.

In our homes, peace comes through biblical order. Husbands who lead with sacrificial love like Christ loved the church. Wives who submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ. Parents who raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. These aren't oppressive structures but life-giving patterns that create environments where peace can flourish.

No Peace with Evil

But here's the crucial distinction: our call to be people of peace does not mean peace with evil. Being at peace with God may actually put us at odds with the world. Jesus Himself said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have come to bring a sword."

When one person in a family chooses to follow Christ while others remain in the world, division comes. To be a friend of the world is to be at enmity with God. We cannot have it both ways. Our peace with God may cost us peace with those who reject Him.

The Promise That Sustains

The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, grieving his wife's tragic death and his son's war injury, heard Christmas bells ringing and penned words that capture our tension: "In despair I bowed my head. There is no peace on earth, I said, for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men."

But then, like the psalmist who worked through his doubts, Longfellow found his answer: "Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead, nor does He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men."

This is our hope. The Prince of Peace reigns now at the right hand of the Father. His kingdom is already breaking into our world, even as we await its full manifestation. And if He reigns in our hearts through His Spirit, we can have lasting peace right now—not because circumstances are perfect, but because we have Him.

The increase of His government and of peace will have no end. He establishes it with justice and righteousness forever. And in the meantime, in the midst of war, in the center of the storm, His people can know a peace that surpasses understanding—the peace that comes from His very presence dwelling within us.