The Key to Being at Peace
Peace (shalom) is a condition of freedom from fear of disturbance, whether external or internal. It is not freedom from conflict or disturbance, but freedom from being overcome or distraught by disturbance because of being confident in God’s promises and His faithfulness to keep those promises.
Peace comes when the person may be in difficult circumstances but is content, confident with hope, and in a state of being “at rest.”
When we are in God’s presence, allowing Him to be with us and work in us, He provides rest (Exodus 3:10). We are no longer warring against God or trying to work to gain His acceptance (Hebrews 4:9–10). When we have God’s peace, we have God’s rest! Even when we are “consumed” by life’s trials and busy-ness, we can trust God to make us lie down in green pastures, beside still (calm) waters, and restore our souls (Psalm 23:2–3).
The psalmist in Psalm 116 praises the Lord God for His mercy and rest. Overcome by distress and sorrow, he cries out to the Lord to save him, proclaiming that his soul can now return to God’s rest for the Lord has been good (Psalm 116:4–7).
One cannot experience rest (God’s Sabbath for the soul) without knowing and experiencing the peace with God and the peace of God through a relationship and fellowship with Him.
A believer indwelt by the Holy Spirit receives comfort (John 14:15–18; II Corinthians 1:3–4) and strength in weakness (Romans 8:26). The Spirit brings to remembrance all that Jesus taught (John 16:13–14) — that He has all authority in and over all things. No matter what happens in or to our lives He is in control, performing everything for our good (Romans 8:28). He is always with us (Matthew 28:19–20) so we never experience our trials alone. We have nothing to fear (John 6:20) because He is the “I am,” eternal and present. And we are eternally secure in Him (Romans 8:35–39). We can never be separated from Him or His unconditional love for us as we are sealed and secured by Jesus and the Holy Spirit (II Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13–14).
God’s word (Jesus) is faithful. He will perform all that He has promised to bring us to the day of our redemption (Philippians 1:6). No matter our circumstances, we can “think on these things” (Philippians 4:8) and receive His comfort and rest, giving us peace in the midst of the storm (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7; Isaiah 26:3).
Peace of and with God
The peace of and with God is an inner calm that replaces anxiety and worry from a soul in turmoil. The Bible clearly describes mankind without Christ as lost, under God’s wrath and judgment, full of wickedness, unable to please or appease God, and destined for eternal judgment. It is no wonder non-believers cannot find rest and peace while staring into God’s judgment.
How does a person experience peace? God says that He will keep (secure, guard, protect, maintain, fortify) a person in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (focused, single-purposed, steadfast, firmly established) on Him because the person trusts (believes, has confidence of hope) in Him (Isaiah 26:3).
God brings the once-dead sinful spirit to life through the entering of the Holy Spirit and immediately changes that person into a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17). The peace of God now rests on that person’s life (Psalm 119:165; Isaiah 32:17).
The spiritual trait of peace is a result of being justified by faith. “Therefore, being justified (made right, declared innocent) through faith [in what Christ has accomplished for us on the cross] we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
The peace of God gives our souls rest by knowing we are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1–4). We are now seen by God the Father through the righteousness of Jesus (II Corinthians 5:21) through the doctrine of justification, meaning the act of making someone right with God.
Peace with Others
Experiencing the peace of and with God allows the believer to experience peace with others. Believers are to live peaceful lives with other believers (II Corinthians 13:11; Romans 14:19) while doing everything possible to live at peace with non-believers (Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12:18).
With the bond that believers have in Christ Jesus, we are to demonstrate His love to each other (John 13:34–35; I John 3:11, 4:11; Galatians 5:13) so that we might bring others to Christ (Matthew 5:44; Hebrews 12:14).
Though Jesus teaches that we should love our enemies (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14; Proverbs 25:21–22; Luke 6:35), the commands and the teachings throughout Scripture to love, favor, prefer, and do for those who are of the faith (other believers in Christ) far outweighs the number of references to love our neighbor as ourselves, to treat others as we would want to be treated, and to demonstrate love by action or deed to those who are outside the Body of Christ.
If we love one another, we will serve and prefer one another as instructed by Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, John, and others (John 13:34–35; Romans 12:10; I John 4:7, 20; Galatians 5:13; I Peter 1:22; James 4:11; Ephesians 5:21; Hebrews 10:24, 13:1; I Peter 2:17; and many others…).
As believers experience God’s peace, loving and preferring/serving others within the family of God, and outwardly demonstrating God’s love for others, we can, as much as is in us, live peaceably with all people (Romans 12:18).
Peace with Ourselves
We can have the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) by acknowledging God’s forgiveness and cleansing and refusing to live in guilt or condemnation. God forgives us and gives us the righteousness of Jesus when we come to a saving faith in Him. Why, then, would a believer choose to not trust in God’s faithfulness and promises of forgiveness by holding on to guilt, feeling condemned, and feeling inadequate in God’s sight? There is no “trust” in what God has done for that person if continuing to linger on whom that person was when spiritually dead in sin. Once in Christ, that person is now alive by the Spirit and a new creation in Jesus.
We also are at peace with ourselves when we embrace how God made us so we can fulfill the unique and given purpose that God has for us. God does not make mistakes. When we realize God made us to be what and who we are, we have self-worth. We can then truly love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and rest in God’s love. There is no greater peace within us than the peace God gives through the work of the Spirit.
Experience peace with God, the peace of God, peace with others, and peace within. Be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). Do not fret (Psalm 37:1) or worry about your life (Matthew 6:25). Rather, rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4), knowing that God — through His omniscience, omnipotence, and faithfulness — will continue doing good in you (Romans 8:28) and fulfilling His purpose in you all the way to the end (Philippians 1:6).
No matter what the storm may bring or how strong it appears to be, remember that He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world (I John 4:4). Take comfort and rest in God’s peace!
