A Cup of Peace

It had been one of “those” parenting days. Being asked to meet with the teacher, finding nits in your son’s hair (eek!) and the added concern of transitioning a child to a new kindergarten. That and a few other curve balls were making me feel quite overwhelmed and stressed. As I reached into the cupboard for a mug for a much needed cup of tea, I automatically sidestepped the “Christmas” one – the bright red one with snowflakes, and the words of Christmas. You know – Peace, Love, Joy. But as I grabbed a teal one with polka dots, I felt the prompting of God.

“Really?”

“Are you really relegating peace, love and joy to Christmas alone? Especially when right in this moment you need peace?”

Peace is not just a nice term pertaining to Christmas alone, or to be used only in relation to world events and the absence of war. Peace is real. Peace is tangible and peace is available to you and me(!) today. Peace is God given and God breathed. Not only did Jesus give us peace, but He is peace personified.

“May the Lord of Peace Himself give you His peace at all times and in every situation.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Peace is something to be received in our spirits, not our minds. Peace comes from within. You can’t try and think your way into peace. It rises up from the inside. When we allow peace to be in charge it refuses admission to anxiety and worry. There is no frustration or fretting in peace.

With Christ in us, we don’t have to react to the external. We respond to an external with what is on the inside. The enemy wants us to focus on the external and not the internal. He wants to remove Christ from the equation. Jesus was able to speak peace to the storm because that was what was inside of Him. We have access to the same for Jesus is in us. We need to capitalise on God being on the inside of us. He is with us in every situation because He is present within. We can speak peace to the storms around us because it is on the inside of us. We sometimes just have to let it out.

I sat with my cup of tea, regretting I hadn’t chosen the Christmas mug, but nonetheless I let the peace of God surround this anxious mother’s heart. I let peace take charge.

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:15)

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)