My first pair of potholders made a nice birthday gift for my friend Georgia, and in the few hours it took me to weave their assembly, my prayers for her settled on thoughts of peace. Georgia's "your crisis is not my crisis" attitude is usually one of unruffled calm, but still I felt the tugging that this "P" was for her.Peace, that state of calm and quiet, freedom from disturbing emotions, is often paired with contentment, both of which must be independent of circumstances, and dependent only on constants. The world can offer very little in that regard; mathematical equations and scientific laws of nature are not emotionally comforting. So, as with so many fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) peace must find its source in Christ. He offers the remedy for my natural tendency towards anxiety.
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Having made my case for God's authorship of peace, I could stop here - short of reality. But the more I see of the world, the less I am able to rationalize the concept in practical day-to-day life. I've lived a fairly unstressed life, but when I see the pain of declining health, when I witness firsthand the effects of broken relationships, when I face a difficult decision, I can't help but ask God, "how am I supposed to have peace through this?" That must be the "surpasses understanding" part, because with every crisis, He finds a way to lead me back to the character of Christ.
"The person of Jesus is the quiet resting place of His people, and when we draw near to Him in the breaking of the bread, in the hearing of the word, the searching of the Scriptures, prayer, or praise, we find any form of approach to Him to be the return of peace to our spirits." ~ Charles Spurgeon
