“I am trying to heal.” “I am trying to find some peace.” “Girl, I need peace of mind.” How many of us have heard someone say this or maybe we have even said it ourselves? Often times, it is in response to our emotional/mental well being. We usually speak these words after a major event takes place which has impacted us in a negative manner. Or we hear those words after a bad break up, a divorce, when a friendship goes sour, when relationships between co workers goes south or even when the relationship among our children gets rocky. Whatever causes these thoughts we recognize the need for “relief” of the situation because what has taken place has become taxing and/or draining to our soul and spirit. This thing has caused us to become broken and we realize the need to be made whole or complete again.
Emotional healing is the ability to acknowledge or identify events and circumstances in our lives that prevent us from moving forward or prevent us from becoming whole or complete again. Emotional healing is a process that allows us to take control of our thoughts, feelings and emotions. The problem is this cannot truly be done without God. We can bury our most raw emotions or feelings so deep down that we trick ourselves into believing we are healed when that it not the truth. The truth is we are great at hiding (burying) things and disguising our genuine feelings about it. Or in other words, we are great at pretending!
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27 KJV)
As many know, the Jews greeted each other with the greeting “Shalom”. Shalom was a Hebrew word denoting peace, well-being and/or wholeness. It was a greeting Jews used when they first came in contact with someone. It was a blessing that was bestowed upon the person as you entered and left someone’s presence.
I often hear people say “hold your peace” or even “protect your peace” because we don’t know the true meaning of peace. An indication of peace is not because you had a smooth and stress-free day at work or at home. In most countries overseas they believe peace is the absence of war. Though all these things may give you temporary contentment, it is NOT peace. Peace is a gift from God. Peace is God.
Peace means to be complete. Peace means wholeness. Peace means nothing missing or lacking. None of those things are possible without God. I am sure someone reading this who may not be a Believer may say, “that is not so”. But it is the absolute truth. God is the Creator. He created us for a purpose and without Him we have no other reason to exist; God created us to fulfill his purpose. So maybe you are wondering how does someone know their purpose. Easy. God has one obvious purpose that is for all of us Believers, which is to serve him and have a relationship with him. To believe he is the true living God and that he died on the cross to redeem us. The problem is most people don’t truly have a relationship with God, they go on dates with God, but nothing serious so they don’t know Him and then can’t truly experience peace with God nor the peace of God.
“Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16 KJV)
I love Gill’s commentary on this scripture off of Biblehub.com. He states: Now the Lord of peace himself,.... The Prince of peace, who is peaceable himself, and the author of peace in all his churches, and who requires peace, calls for it, and encourages it.”
Not only is having God, having peace but once we have that relationship with God, once we understand peace comes from Him, he calls us to be peacemakers as well. In the Sermon on the Mount God said:
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9 KJV)
We as the children of God are called to be peacemakers. In the sermon on the Mount God reminded his people that blessed are the peacemakers or those who make a genuine attempt to prevent contention, strife, and even war. Blessed are those who use their influence for good or to reconcile opposing parties and hostilities in families and neighborhoods and not cause them. Jesus told them that when any man does this he becomes more like God. The one thing we MUST remember is once we obtain peace (because what peace truly means is having a real & true genuine relationship with God because he is who completes us and/or makes us whole) we must fight to keep it. It must be our priority to maintain our relationship with God which will ultimately maintain our peace.
“Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14 KJV)
So how do we do keep our peace!? We must first depart from evil. What evil? We must stay away from sin, we must stay away from toxic friendships, toxic relationships, gossip, jealous and envious people, people who are miserable, stay away from places that feed our flesh, stay out of situations that cause us to come out of character or communion with God. We must stay away from any and every unclean thing. We must work and make a true attempt or constant efforts to do good and keep peace for ourselves and make constant efforts to do good and live in peace with others. It is then and only then that we will experience the peace of God. Peace the world didn’t give and therefore the world has no hand in taking it away. Simply because God is peace.