World peace is the focus of many songs, organizations, and even beauty pageants. Despite that, I find that our world is seriously lacking peace. Just look at our own country – there are constant debates over whose lives matter, if masks should be worn, and if/when kids should return to school. I think we have all heard “No justice, no peace” a lot lately in the news and on social media. It has almost become the new “buzz word” or phrase. Given everything going on in the world today, I can’t help but ask myself, “What exactly is peace and how do we find it in a world like today’s?” My life these days feels anything but peaceful.
Like so many parents across the state (and maybe even the country right now), each morning I wake up to spend the day working and/or entertaining my children. If I am lucky, I get to go out on a big solo excursion to the doctor or the store. It has become my new normal, but it hasn’t become less unsettling. Never leaving the house without a mask and not having the opportunity to take my kids on our normal summer adventures has been a challenge for both me and my family. Increased time together has led to more frequent arguments – between the kids and each other, between my husband and me, and between the kids and us. On top of a general increased anxiety and tension in the home, my husband and I are attempting to tackle important conversations about race with our five-year-old sons – fully aware that we ourselves still have so much to learn. Life feels like a whirlwind most days.
But here’s the part I have been missing – the part that I think so many of us are missing – peace isn’t just about a lack of conflict or the resolution of difficult feelings within yourself. True peace comes from following Christ and placing all of your trust in Him. As the memory verse for this week (Philippians 4:6-7) highlights, this type of peace “surpasses all understanding.” We may not fully understand the feeling or know what God’s plan is, but that is why we refer to it as “having faith.” As written in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” As Christians, we believe in the things we cannot see, even if we do not fully comprehend them all.
All of this brings me back to a few months ago in February when I was baptized. As I got in the water, this overwhelming feeling of calm came over me. It was a feeling that I have never experienced. I attributed this to the Holy Spirit being with me. The feeling lasted for quite some time after my baptism, and I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was working at a job that I was unhappy in, awaiting the date when I could move on to the new job I had secured. I was commuting one hour to work every day and dealing with challenging coworkers and parents. Despite all of this, I felt calm. I knew in my heart that everything would work out how it was supposed to. During my long commute, I prayed to God and asked that he help me to accept whatever happens next and to know that it was His plan for a reason. I did not realize until now that the calm that I was feeling was due to peace with Christ. I had “given it up to God” and accepted that even though I wasn’t sure how it would all play out, I knew He was there for me.
Richard Attenborough, English politician, actor, and entrepreneur, was quoted as saying, “There is a light in this world. A healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, and too much pain.” I cannot speak to who or what Attenborough meant when he referred to the light in this world, but I would argue that this light is Christ. In a world full of suffering, we find our peace with Jesus. As Paul wrote in Phillippians, we must make our requests known to God by offering them up to Him in prayer. Only then can we move towards the peace that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ.
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Lisa Replogle has had a long, ever-changing journey in her relationship with Christ, and she is excited to share what she has learned along the way. She is a certified early childhood and special education teacher and currently teaches high school multiple disability support. She spends her time outside the classroom sharing her passion for dance with local groups for individuals with special needs. Lisa and her husband are the parents of five-year-old identical twin boys.
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