I stared hard at the calm man laying in bed, trying to keep my mouth from dropping open in horror. Hours earlier a tire had blown in his hand, leaving an array of disaster. Bones shattered, finger maimed, and blood leaked from the wound. When I had seen the X-ray, I assumed the patient had passed out because there was no one screaming in pain.
Yet, there he was, sitting on the bed, arm in hand, smiling politely at me. Such a peaceful picture for a chaotic accident.
A small part of me envies this man. Not only is his pain tolerance through the roof, but to be so peaceful in the midst of chaos is unfathomable. The peace he displayed seemed instinctual, his knee jerk response to overwhelm. I don’t know about you, but my instincts are often the opposite. Crying, stressing, and fuming are more likely. But not peaceful. To have this kind of peace felt impossible to me.
Which is what made the Bible’s message on peace through every storm frustrating. Where was this peace when the to-do list didn’t end? Or in the death of a loved one or tension at home?
To me, peace equaled no conflict, no storms, no crazy battles to fight. But in the Bible we see a different picture.
The Definition
The Hebrew word for “peace” in the Bible may be one you have heard before, Shalom. In the Greek, it is known as eirene. Both words actually reference wholeness. A good analogy would be to think Shalom as a stone with no cracks or a wall without missing bricks. It is a state of completeness, lacking nothing. To reconcile or bring Shalom is to take what is missing and restore it to wholeness.
Peace, then, is so much more than just an absence of chaos. It’s actually the presence of wholeness. Peace points to the presence of something better.
I feel that this image of true peace is best displayed in John 14:27.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
(John 14:27)
How does the world give peace? Safety nets. Security systems, stable job, lots of friends, sturdy house, good education, quality healthcare, and safe neighborhoods to name a few. In themselves, these things are good. We should strive for community and to steward our health and finances. But to put our peace in these things is incredibly risky because they are temporary.
What happens when pay cuts happen? Or when a fire takes your home? Or when your friends abandon you? Or when you receive a terminal diagnosis? What is the world’s answer to peace then? Simple: cover it up, distract yourself with endless entertainment, get rid of what is taking your peace, cut people out, use addiction to mute it – ultimately, do whatever you have to do to achieve the absence of chaos.
But just like putting a bandaid over a crack in a stone or duct tape on a wall missing a brick, worldly “peace” falls short. It lacks the presence of wholeness – and it will eventually come crashing down (Ezekiel 13:10-16). The world may assure you there is peace, but it is deceiving you (Obadiah 1:7). No matter how much we shout “peace, peace!” to try and drown out the chaos, there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14).
The Call
This makes peace so difficult. It makes peace a wrestle. We see this idea reflected in Hebrews 12:14.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
(Hebrews 12:14)
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
The Greek word for strive here, dioko, has a heavy meaning. In Matthew 5:11, it’s used to describe the persecution of Christians, in Revelation 12:13 it’s used to describe a relentless pursuit, and in Philippians 3:14 it’s used to describe Paul fighting for his goal of obtaining the eternal prize that Jesus promises. The Bible is clear – we should fight for peace.
And the surrounding verses of Hebrews show that it is a relentless fight. As you see in Hebrews 12, striving for peace is surrounded by verses talking about lifting up weak hands (v12), walking on injured legs (v13), battling temptation (v14), and trying to remain sexually pure (v16). These are no easy tasks.
And what we cannot ignore in all of this is the call to live at peace with everyone. Peace is a calling (Romans 14:19). While the world calls us to cut off and run off when responsibilities and relationships get tough, Jesus calls us, as children of God, to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). We are called to bring about unity and wholeness with others, not cut and run. Although healthy boundaries are key to peace, the goal should always be to seek harmony, to bring about wholeness.
The Power
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:7)
This verse always seemed far too simple for me. I had encountered the peace that surpasses understanding – a peace that flows through like water and you simply don’t know how or why – but it felt quite rare. If peace is our calling, and we are not to seek the counterfeit peace of the world, how will I even have the strength to do that? If it surpasses my understanding, how am I supposed to grasp it?
From the very beginning, peace was destroyed. Adam and Eve committed the most horrendous act of treason against God, destroying the peace between man and God. This is why peace is a hard fight. This is why we are naturally inclined against it. This was the crack in the stone and the missing bricks.
But enter the Prince of Shalom. God sent His Son, the promised Prince of Peace, to restore the relationship between us and the Father (Isaiah 9:6). His death and resurrection brought about wholeness again. He is our eirene (Ephesians 2:14-15).
Life will have conflict and chaos (John 16:33). Jobs will fail, people will fail, we will fail. But that’s not what peace is based on. I think back to the man with the hand injury. His life had chaos in the moment. Yet, he still had peace. Because true peace, again, is not the absence of chaos but the presence of wholeness. And what makes us whole? The grace and unconditional love of the Father.
Peace will not always feel peaceful. It will by no means be perfect on earth. But we do have peace offered to us; we can allow it to begin ruling our hearts and minds (Colossians 3:15). We are not trapped by brokenness. We have the hope that God has not left us without peace on earth. He promises to give us peace (John 14:27). And what’s more, we have the hope that one day, when Jesus comes to restore all of creation, that perfect peace won’t be so hard to fight for (Romans 16:20).
But as we wait for the kind of peace of eternity, let us strive to be reflections of Jesus’ peace. When giving up or dwelling in worry or overwhelm feels more enticing, let’s choose to fight for real, lasting peace.
Shock the world by smiling, resting in the Father, as you sit in chaos.
Resources
- John 14
- My Peace I Give to You by John Piper
- You Must Fight Hard for Peace by Jon Bloom
- Shalom – Peace by BibleProject
Overwhelmed 