Are You At Peace?

Psalm 29:11 states: “The Lord will bless His people with peace.” In other verses in the Bible we hear this same message. A common Christian greeting is “May the peace of the Lord be with you” or in Hebrew one might say “Shalom.” The peace that I am referring to here is a peace that transcends all understanding.  So I ask you right now: Are you experiencing that profound inner peace?

There is an old joke about INNER PEACE that goes something like this:

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without alcohol,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!

Inner peace is no laughing matter and sadly for too many people it seems unattainable. God assures us it is not! It is within reach for you and me. Where does this peace come from; how can we attain it? Have we at some time in our life had this peace and lost it? If so, what caused us to lose it and how can we get it back?

Literally thousands of books have been written on the subject of seeking inner peace. This tells me two things. First, it tells me that throughout human history there is an unquenchable hunger for inner peace. Second, it tells me that I can merely scratch the surface of this quest in my few words here today. I’ll do my best.

Have you ever marveled at the deep peace which Jesus had even in the face of those who mocked Him, hated Him, turned against Him and eventually killed Him? Do you wish you could have that same peace? You can!

Acts: 10:36 tells us that Jesus was sent to proclaim peace. Eph. 6:15 refers to His message as the Gospel of peace. Philippians 4:9 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 even call God the God of peace.

John 14:27 states this: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” There is an abundance of theological underpinning packed into this one verse. Notice that Jesus is giving us His peace, in other words the peace that He personally enjoyed. So at the risk of being repetitive He wants to give us that same peace He had as He stared into the face of His crucifixion.

Perhaps like me, your pursuit of peace is often too focused on the elimination of worldly problems, trials and concerns. This is not the lasting peace we seek. In stark contrast to John 14:27, our hearts are constantly troubled and afraid of the future. Any pursuit of peace outside of Jesus Christ is futile. Apart from God, there is no real peace.

Peace does not come from the absence of troubles. God’s peace is unrelated to our human circumstances. Even in the midst of great troubles His peace is available to us. This peace comes not from focusing on our problems but instead focusing solely on Jesus Christ.

Sometimes our pursuit of peace can get all wrapped up in making other people happy or winning their approval. This will also never give us peace. Pursuing peace through others is an unappeasable peace. We can’t find true peace by trying to please them. We will only know God’s peace when our heart rests in His.

Perhaps you are tortured by sins from your past that strip away your peace. Perhaps you harbor some fear of what is in store for you after death. Your guilt tries to convince you that your past will rob you of your eternal future with God. Take heart in this verse from Col 1:20:and through him to reconcile all things for him making peace by the blood of his cross….”

Since the dawn of mankind we have been defying God. We have rebelled in more ways that we can count. We have had hardened hearts when it comes to God’s teachings. These rebellious actions strip us of true inner peace. To have peace we must remain in God’s presence. Eating, sleeping, working or playing we still must keep God as our focus. It is only when we are focused on God that we can experience peace, even in the midst of pain.

If you and I are not experiencing peace then we must ask ourselves why. We most likely don’t need to look any further than our weekly schedules. How much time do we spend with God? Is our focus on God or is it on this world?

The key to finding that elusive inner peace is to remain faithful to God. We must desire to be where He is. We must spend time with Him. His peace can calm our hearts and wipe away our tears in the middle of even the worst suffering. Phil 4:7 states: “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” When we have Christ’s peace nothing in this world can dislodge it or take it from us.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

As always, I love to hear your thoughts and comments below. Additionally, click here to send me an email.

Brian Pusateri
Latest posts by Brian Pusateri (see all)

8 Comments

  1. Rosemarie on January 18, 2017 at 4:04 am

    Dear Mr. Pusateri,
    Again I thank you for your ministry.
    “Are You at Peace?” you asked. You brought to my attention the deep peace of Jesus in in the face of His turbulent ministry, passion, and death. Yes I have marveled at this deep peace of His, but…It is the Blessed Mother’s peace that truly marvels me. She literally walked the path of faith of her son’s, and in so doing experienced the suffering of pain, heartbreak, and rejection. Yet she kept that peace about her that came from an absolute trust in God, a trust that was reflected in The Gospel of Luke’s Magnificat. God bless her.
    I am a mother of a disabled vet after his second your in Afghanistan. He has a severe brain injury and PTSD. The boy had to relearn to walk and use the use of his arms and hands by retraing other parts of his brain to compensate for the functions of the injured parts. There are still many other health issues he lives with daily, but he is using his arms and legs fairly normally now. I am forever grateful he did not fall through governmental “cracks” and that by the grace of God, he received excellent medical treatment.
    From the time a mother shares birth pains with a child, she shares all her child’s pain for they are bonded at heart even before the birth of that child. Like our Blessed Mother, I know with a true conviction that Jesus has His hands on my son’s shoulders. I simple KNOW IT. It is a source of deep peace. But it still hurts so much.
    I am so grateful to Jesus for my salvation and the Divine Mercy is one of my favorite prayers.
    But I look to Our Blessed Mother Mary for inspiration for inner peace.
    I hardly have the reknown graces of great saints. What I am is a mother and while looking to the Blessed Virgin, can share the pain or hurt of a body or soul and lift it up to God in prayer. I am a mother and a woman who has shed many sorrowful tears. I am not strong, but weak. Jesus take my weakness, only give me the peace and strength to keep praying and tI keep sharing.

    • Brian Pusateri on January 23, 2017 at 8:54 pm

      Rosemarie

      Forgive me for being slow to respond to you incredible post. It moved me to tears. I immediately offered prayers for you and your son. Through your sharing you gave me a clear understanding of the peace that only God can give.

      May God keep you safe, heal your pain, grant you peace and keep you in the palm of His hand. May God grant a healing for your son that exceeds human understanding, may He take away his pain and always surround him with peace and love. Amen!

      Brian

  2. Sarah on January 17, 2017 at 8:53 pm

    Hey Brian – I just wanted to say that this reflection of yours could not have come at a better time. I broke up with a man last night who I really thought could be the one – but he is Agnostic. We couldn’t get past the “religion hurdle” and as such, I decided to end it. I’d been praying for God to give me peace with the decision I made and lo’ and behold your reflection comes along in my inbox. I can’t thank you enough for being an instrument of God for me today.

    • Brian Pusateri on January 18, 2017 at 3:52 am

      Sarah

      Thank you for writing. I am sorry to hear about your trial but I pray that God will grant you peace not only now, but always. May you be surrounded by God’s love.

      Brian

  3. Jamespilat1942@yahoo.com on January 17, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    Brother Brian
    Thank you for the message!
    Brother James

    • Brian Pusateri on January 17, 2017 at 3:55 pm

      Brother James:

      Thanks for posting. May Christ’s peace surround you now and always.

      Brian

  4. Rich on January 17, 2017 at 9:12 am

    Thanks Brian

    I just read your letter, I was sitting here doing paperwork at the office, My least favorite thing to do,Ha ha —- started to look through my E-Mails. Deleted a bunch of them. I definitely stopped to read yours this morning, I loved the one about the old joke. I have never heard it before, I reread your letter several times this morning . O how true. Thanks Rich

    • Brian Pusateri on January 17, 2017 at 12:36 pm

      Rich

      Thanks for posting your thoughts. May God grant you HIS PEACE today and ever day.

      God bless!

      Brian

Leave a Comment