Finding a Peaceful Place to Land
Finding a Peaceful Place to Land Sounds like I’m looking for a Peace Island – worry-free, troubles-free, people-who-disagree-with-me free, chaos-free, hatred-free, discord-and-distrust free. Peace Island is all peace and calm and comfort. Another name for this Peace Island is Fantasy Island – because, well – we won’t find any place on this earth where peace reigns supreme.
Our Lord guaranteed it. Straight from our Lord are His words from John 16: 33 “In the world you will have trouble!” I have my fingers in my ears because I don’t want to hear about troubles. “No, Lord! I don’t want troubles. With all due respect, that’s not Peace Island!” And the Lord replies ever so tenderly: “Oh, yes, daughter, it is – “IN ME you will have peace because I have overcome the world.” That’s the rest of John 16:33.
My lightning fast mind gets it now. No need to book a flight to a far-off island to find peace, because it’s not a “that” or an “it” place. It’s a “He” place. We find that peace in His presence. It is the only place of peace that we can obtain beyond our thoughts and feelings. It is the peace that comes with Divine awareness AND the Gospel truth where we find goodness, mercy, joy, hope and peace. BUT, we must intentionally and purposefully go there. We must refuse to live in turmoil and confusion. We must protect ourselves from the gloom and despair that outside sources pander to us. Mentally speaking, we must choose to take the pathways, hallways, byways and highways to get to Peace Island.
Jesus promised we could have Peace Island in our everyday routines of work, play and sleep — in good and bad times. Here are Jesus’ words from John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Let’s go to Peace Island, but not alone. Let’s be promoters of peace. The antidote to opposition and evil is to walk in the opposite spirit — being peace promoters. We can promote peace with our words of truth, kindness, gentleness and with our actions – reflecting the peace walk and talk of Jesus. Others will see something distinctly different about those who live in AND on “Peace Island” daily. We are the ones wo trust that God will use even the worst things that we face in life, for good (Romans 8:28) — so we might as well choose PEACE! We pray for that peace – peace for ourselves and others. Lord, let there be peace on earth, and let it begin in me.