“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
The night Jesus shared a last meal with his disciples was an evening full of emotion. Aware that these were some of His final moments, Jesus imparted truths he wanted his friends to remember once he was gone.
He conveyed his parting gift of peace within Jesus’s final words of comfort and love. Jesus was leaving the disciples with His peace – not just fleeting tranquility for a moment but enduring peace for a lifetime. And because of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence in our lives today, we have access to this same peace of Christ. Philippians 4:6-7 helps us understand how to embody this gift of peace. It says that when something anxiety-inducing invades our hearts and minds, we can give it to God in prayer, and then God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, will take charge of our hearts.
This can be easier said than done, though. It may take intentionally turning to God repeatedly before we can start to abide in his peace.
As we face the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to let our peace slip away. Stress can become the norm for our holiday season, whether it’s unmet expectations, difficult loved ones, or simply the pressure of more to do in less time. Yet, Jesus longs for us to exchange our stress for his peace.
As you go through your holiday season, when you start feeling stressed, take a deep breath and ask Jesus to help you. He left his peace for us. We can trust him and lay our anxieties down to pick up his peace despite our circumstances.