Peace on Earth
“One thing we can say for sure, with absolute certainty—is there are moments that take us to another place. Moments of Heaven on Earth.”
As followers of Jesus, we are called to lift Him up in glory, putting away our personal opinions on things such as the sins of others; and rather bring peace and love onto others. When we decrease ourselves to bring our Almighty God to center focus, we develop a sense of peace. Peace in even the moments of sorrow, pain, heartache. How do we obtain such peace? By putting all our faith in Jesus. Knowing He took all of God’s wrath to save us from sin and despair, we are given a gift of peace that only comes from God. We are saved and our sin has been paid, and in that, we know we will have peace not only for ourselves, but for others as well when we forgive even those we deem unforgivable. We love better, we harbor no ill feelings or hate others.
Romans 15:13 (ESV) says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Overflowing hope in the name of Jesus, is the key to peace. In the Beatitudes, Jesus talks about being a peacemaker. To be a peacemaker is different than being a peacekeeper.He loved and tenderized some of the hardest hearts among people. When we allow God to soften our hearts, we are agreeing to be transformed from our old life to a new one. We become more willing and able to love God and others, growing to trust Him always. We can trust in Him because Jesus didn’t come to judge or condemn, He came to rescue us from our sin. Jesus didn’t come to be served, He came to serve (Matthew 20:28). He came to bring peace and hope to all of us sick in our sin.
In my personal story, before I came to know Christ, I was a prideful woman. I shared no empathy with others, much less displayed any sort of love and peace. My only drive was to be strong and prove others wrong about their underestimation of me and my capabilities. But being strong, or maintaining strength on my own was difficult. I was holding grudges to those I felt did me wrong because I dared not forgive or express any type of vulnerability and weakness. I looked down on those who didn’t share the same values as me. I was strong, independent, and tough….and I was proud! But I was also exhausted from being strong on my own. I was holding on to grudges against those who shook the solid foundation I had built for myself. I was angry and bitter towards those who threatened my values and my strength. The more resentment I carried, the angrier I became. When I came to know Christ, I realized that being strong on my own is impossible. God is my strength. He is the only one with the strength to keep me on solid ground. Even when everything around me seems to be falling apart, I am at peace because I trust God’s strength and that He will see me through. He is faithful and He never abandons us. I no longer feel angry or resentment. Forgiving others has released me from condemning and hate on others. There is a sense of relief and peace when forgiving others. The more we trust in God to guide us and carry our burdens, the more willing we are to make peace with others, just as Jesus did when He invited all into His life y in spite of their sin. There is nothing greater than living a life that mirrors Jesus. Letting go of things that hinder our growth in Jesus, releases so many toxins that hurt us and those around us. When we walk daily with God, it’s like everything outside is brighter. The trees are greener, the air is fresher, the people are more alive, what was once a melancholy soundtrack to my life is now soundtrack of peace and gratitude. All made possible through Jesus Christ.
There is peace in Christ because as believers, we know Christ already paid for our sin, therefore God holds no account for our sin nor is He affected by our sin. God holds no guilt or condemnation once we give our hearts to Christ. As we live in this temporary world, pain and sorrow is guaranteed, however the peace in knowing Christ add up to full acceptance in His faithfulness. Part of that faithfulness is peace. There is peace when God sacrificed His only son to save us from sin, allowing us to live above reproach in His light. When we died with Christ we were reborn in His likeness, and objects of this world dissipate leaving only God to guide and carry us into His truth in love and peace. We no longer rely on the things of this world, nor do we helplessly mourn and hurt from the evils in this world. Rather, we rely on God to strengthen our weary and heartbreaking souls so that we may peacefully and lovingly continue bringing glory to God. We are firmly established in God’s kingdom and in His love and it is in this that we can have peace to live in a world mainly driven by greed and selfishness.
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:9-12).
As we reduce ourselves and our way of thinking, the more we allow God to guide us into His glory and into His peace. Moreover, we bring Heaven to Earth when we live as Christ did. Whether that means we tackle difficulties in our lives, grieving the loss a loved one, overcoming addiction, forgiving those who have wronged us, loving the most difficult, having compassion for those who have committed such horrific acts, serving those in need—all these things bring glory to God and birth moments of peace on earth as it is in Heaven.
May the Heavenly Father continue guiding us and renewing our hearts every waking moment. May we bring peace and love to every living being as Christ did. And may God be glorified always.