The Big Deal About Finding Lasting Peace
Photo by Emily Fletke
Give me peace!
BEEN THERE, STATED THAT
I’m always looking for ways to unwind from the agitations of living in a big city, the daily stresses in my work life, and the overwhelming turmoil in the wider world. The planet we live on is not a peaceful place.
A weekend away skiing, a workout session, massage, and learning to relax my body from toes to the tip of my nose in yoga class can help. These practices bring pocket-sized moments of quiet into my days.
Like my list, a ton of advice exists on how to bring serenity into your life. Decluttering, simplifying, dealing with that one problem that’s bugging you, and setting limits are just a few ways to pursue some peace. It’s good stuff, common sense, and often stated in proverbs, too.
These healthy suggestions help us feel soothed — but only for a while. This temporal tranquility needs to be constantly practiced and continually sought after.
Peace takes effort to find, but then it is fleeting.
There’s a different kind of peace available to us. One we don’t have to strive for or constantly work at. It is unfading and unending.
GO ON
It’s found in the story of a woman. She is distressed from an ongoing illness which no one can cure. She hears of Jesus and that he is close by. Unnoticed by him and the crowd pressing around him, she reaches out to touch the hem of his cloak. Immediately, she is cured.
The power of God healed her. Yet there’s something else that is surprising. Jesus says to her: “Your faith has healed you; go in peace.”
There is a link between having faith and finding peace.
Jesus wasn’t just talking about a temporal calmness, one that would last only until the next ailment came along. He was referring to an everlasting harmony that extends beyond this world.
When we take one small step and reach out to Jesus in faith, we receive true and lasting reconciliation with God in return. When we believe in Jesus for one thing, God makes us complete in everything.
It wasn’t just the healing of her physical body that subdued the woman’s anxiety. She had received a spiritual restoration, too. Faith set her right with God and brought real, deep down, never-ending completeness.
Sure, we might stress from day to day, but with Jesus we are rooted in a secure contentment — a wholesome, life-giving, well-being.
GETTING THE TRUTH INSIDE US
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
A RADIANT woman with a little faith receives a lot of peace.