Written by John Ortberg, a contemporary author, speaker, and pastor.
Dallas Willard once defined peace as “the rest of will that comes from the assurance of how things will turn out.” That’s the kind of peace Jesus gives. Jesus’ peace is not rooted in the illusion of control, but in the reality of a trustworthy God. Turns out that peace doesn’t come from getting what you want. Jesus invites you to want something else entirely. He calls you not to eliminate fear, but to walk through it. To want what you don’t want. To enter the outskirts, because that’s where he is. In the storm. In the uncertainty. In the cross. There is no escaping hardship. But, through Jesus, there is hope to become someone who carries peace into hardship. Jesus doesn’t promise us a peaceful place. He promises to make us peaceful people. People who are so deeply grounded in God’s love, so assured of His rule, that even persecution, uncertainty, or loss can’t shake us. He gives his peace. And that changes everything.
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. [2 Thessalonians 3:16]
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