Our theme for this month is “Peace.” How appropriate is that in the midst of this turmoil?
It’s hard to find peace when you’re stuck in your house with kids in school who are expecting you to know everything they need to learn. And how peaceful is it to walk into a store where everyone looks like a bank robber?
Plus, knowing that I’m at risk for the virus, panicking when someone is coming toward me in the aisle and I have no way to avoid being closer than six feet.
Then, there are those who believe they are above the rules and put the rest of us in danger by prolonging the pandemic. They really scare me, especially on social media!
So how and where do we find peace?
Certainly not in our family. Having everyone around – or being constantly alone – is added stress, not added peace.
Definitely not in the grocery store for the reasons above.
Not in the drive-thru or carry-out line at a restaurant, where we wonder how safe the food really is.
Believe it or not, we can only find peace by looking within. It’s up to us to have peace.
We can stress all we want over things out of our control, but that does nothing to help us. It only makes us worry more and deteriorate our health.
One person who had every reason to not feel peace was Corrie ten Boom. She was a humble watchmaker who helped many Jews escape from the Nazis during World War II by hiding them in her home. She was later imprisoned in concentration camp and found herself in solitary confinement for months.
If anyone would have trouble finding peace, it would be Corrie ten Boom! But instead of worrying and being agitated, one of her most famous quotes is, “Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.”
Corrie ten Boom learned the source of her peace. It was within her – to not worry, not fret, not be upset over what may or may not happen.
And it’s within all of us. We can do it, but sometimes we need a little help. In John 16:33. Jesus says, “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
He didn’t promise a life without problems, freedom to do whatever we want and go wherever. No, he told us we would continue to experience difficulties. And staying at home is a minor difficulty, if you ask me.
But the first part of Jesus’ quote is where the peace lies – “so that TRUSTING ME, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.” Trusting Him is what makes the difference.
God brought millions of Jews out of slavery in Egypt; he helped thousands escape the Nazis, and he helped Paul escape from prison more than once. He can surely help us get through a little inconvenience.
Go in peace. Or, rather, stay at home in peace!
