Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV).
The word peace in the original means "wholeness". God's peace restores all the mind and all the heart. It's not a piece of peace but rather being entirely at peace.
Jesus contrasts the peace He gives to what the world offers.
The world uses all sorts of means to produce peace. From mediation to medication to rallies and marches but it doesn't produce a sustainable effect. The world's peace is circumstantial and experiential. It'a centered on certain events and experiences that make you feel tranquil, but it lacks the substance of God's peace. When Jesus spoke to the storm, it says the winds and waves obeyed Him and the storm ceased.
Nothing and no one in this world can completely calm our internal storms. What amount of money is there to soothe a tormented mind? Or what event can keep us distracted long enough from what troubles us?
I find that if I sit for a few minutes in His presence and say nothing at all - just to still myself - soon His presence soothes my tense, knotted soul.
Sometimes that's all it takes is to close the door in a room to shut out the world. Sit with an open Bible in your lap and wait for Him to speak through His word.
Peace, be still.
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