In 2014, BBC Radio 4 began an audio drama series about the First World War that ran for about 4 years. While listening, I found it very interesting to learn about life when the war started in 1914. In many ways, it was a different world from the one we live in today, and I’m pretty sure 2 world wars contributed to many of those differences.
the people living in 1914 were assured the war would be over by Christmas, but it wasn’t, and much to everyone’s surprise, it lasted 4 long years, putting everyone under a great deal of strain and leading to much loss of life. When peace finally came, it was temporary, as other conflicts soon rose up, including the horrors of 1939-45. Although we haven’t had a world war since, there always seems to be at least one country battling with another. The world is seemingly never at peace.
The subject of peace is close to many people’s hearts. In the 1960s, there were large so-called peace movements. People grew their hair, dressed in hippy style clothes, and seemed to smoke a lot of intoxicating substances, but I’m not sure this really had any great effect on furthering the peace movement. John Lennon sang in the 1970s about ‘Giving peace a chance’, yet his own life was in turmoil, as he battled demons of anger, hurt and rejection.
Looking around us today, we see a distinct lack of peace in our time. There are wars and rumours of wars. Even traveling in our cars is no longer stress free, as many people suffer from road rage and take little care and attention for those on the road around them. We live in a me-centred society. My wants and needs come first, and I will push and shove and do whatever is necessary to progress along my chosen path. If I have to push you out of the way to do so, then so be it.
We hear a lot of politicians talking about peace, and occasionally, a peace treaty is signed, but it’s soon broken, and the combatants are back to square one. Why is this? Well, the plane truth of the matter is that you can’t have true and lasting peace without the Prince of Peace. The only true peace mankind will ever find is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. If John Lennon had given his heart to Jesus, he would really have known what it was to give peace a chance, and he would have understood the true meaning of the word.
In chapter 4 of his letter to the Philippians, Paul advises us to pray as a means of obtaining peace. Verses 6-7 have become very special to me. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” I have to admit I’m a worrier by nature, and when I’m worried, I feel anything but peaceful. So how can I feel an inner peace when all around me and all within is chaos – when my stomach is churning, and my insides are tied up in knots? I can do so by placing my life, and the lives of those I love, into the hands of my saviour. True peace comes from total trust and dependence upon him.
If you take the time to chat to Christians, I’m sure you would hear many testimonies of how God’s peace has carried them through trying times. We can be in the middle of one of the biggest storms of our lives, and yet feel ourselves enveloped in a bubble of peace. The storm around us may rage on, and if we allow it to, it will sweep us away in its ferocity, but if we take the time to kneel at the feet of Jesus, giving our cares and worries over to him, he will replace our fears and anxieties with his peace. It is as though he takes the burdens from our shoulders and carries them upon his own. After all, the apostle Peter told us to: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1Peter 5: 7.)
One of the most beautiful titles of Jesus is “Prince of Peace.” This was given in a prophecy long before his birth. And one day, he will truly bring peace to the melee we witness in the world around us, because Jesus is coming back to the earth at a time currently known only to the Godhead, to put everything right once and for all. Now that’s some promise! The inner peace we can experience with him now will become an outer peace, as he setts about righting all the wrongs and dealing with the consequences of man’s sin.
As we wait for the promise of his return, let’s allow ourselves to rest in his peace. Each day will bring its own worries and concerns, and some days will bring more than others, but remember his shoulders are broad enough to bear them all, if we will just let him. The enemy will try and rob us of our peace, but he can only steal it if we let him. It is a gift worth fighting for, and the best way to fight is on our knees in prayer, pouring out our hearts to our Saviour.
In closing, I love these words spoken by the father of John The Baptist, as he gazes down at his new-born son and knows he will be the forerunner, preparing the way for the Lord. I pray they will bring you as much comfort as they do me. “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Saviour from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant- the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”” (Luke 1: 68-79.)