In Isaiah 9:6, a scripture passage often quoted at Christmas, the coming Messiah is referred to as “the Prince of Peace.”  Christ is the Source of peace.  Trusting Him as our Saviour and yielding to His rule in our hearts brings peace on many fronts.  First and foremost, He brings us peace with God.  As Paul explains in Romans 5:1-2, “...since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (NIV) 

Being reconciled to God our Creator is foundational to inner peace.  Experiencing God’s forgiveness not only quiets our guilty conscience, but it also gives us a sense of worth based on Christ’s love for us.  Taking time to bathe our minds in these truths will go a long way to restoring our mental and emotional calm.  Such peace of mind reflects the deeper meaning of “shalom,” the Hebrew word for “peace.”  Much more than a simple greeting, Strong’s Concordance explains that “shalom” comes from “the root verb meaning to be complete, perfect and full” and carries the meaning of completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.”  This is the type of inner peace that Christ promised to His disciples when He 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). His this peace is still available to all who follow Him today!

Christ’s peace transforms our lives from the inside out.  For example, experiencing peace with God and peace in our own hearts frees us from the tyranny of regret, anger and resentment so that we are able to forgive ourselves and others. Imagine the healing that could take place in our personal lives and in our circle of family and friends if we truly forgive each other from our hearts.  Of course, this too is easier said than done!  It is especially difficult if others do not share our faith in God.  But even then, Paul exhorts us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18, NIV).  Jesus takes this one step further.  More than simply keeping the peace, Christ urges His followers to be makers of peace – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV).  We may not have a role to play on the world stage, but we can pray that God will raise up peace makers to impact the trouble spots around the globe.  And we can certainly seek to be peace makers in our own family and circle of influence. 

Of course, Christ’s promise of peace does not mean we will never experience problems.  As He said to His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV).  I like what the missionary statesman and author J. Oswald Sanders has said, “Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.”  Christ’s presence in our lives enables us to experience peace even in the midst of a crisis.  It truly is a peace that passes understanding.  (See Philippians 4:7.)

True and lasting peace will never come to this earth apart from Christ.  As followers of Christ, the Prince of Peace, we are instruments through whom He can bring peace to others.  Transforming our world comes through transforming individuals, one person at a time, until He comes again.

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”
(2 Peter 1:2, NIV)