John 14:27
Jesus told His disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled.” He spoke these words to them on a night when He knew that in only a matter of hours, their lives would be permanently impacted by His own arrest and betrayal and death. Their world would be turned upside down as the One they had left all for would soon be publicly humiliated and crucified. However, He gives them some much needed reassurance! He told them the Holy Spirit would come as a Comforter. He told them a place was being prepared for them. He told them that He would come again and receive them unto Himself. He told the disciples that they could have peace in the midst of the turmoil if they would only trust Him.
All too often we lose our peace in the midst of the difficult circumstances of life. Nothing steals our peace from us. Rather, we choose to give it away! We do the same thing with our joy. We forfeit peace and joy when we take our eyes off of Jesus and focus on the messiness of life. When we do this, we have nothing to offer a watching world. If an unbeliever comes to us distraught over some tragedy and finds us just as undone, what witness have we given about the peace that Jesus claimed to give?
It is the unashamed followers of Jesus in a community who should be able to offer a word of encouragement and comfort during life’s difficult times. We can only do this if we posses the peace of Christ deep within–the peace that He purchased for us at the the price of His own blood. Instead of being troubled today by what is beyond your control, choose to rest in the peace and strength supplied by the Comforter.
For more, read John 14:23-31
