Peace for the New Year

“For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.”  Ephesians 2:14

This time last year, just about everyone was looking forward to leaving 2020 behind and moving on to what was hoped would be a better year in 2021.  Many of us were optimists in believing that 2021 had to be a more peaceful, healthy, and prosperous year, but I think that is the same attitude that many of us have at the end of every year.  So what does that tell us?  It seems to say that we are constantly on the lookout for better times.  Lots of folks think if they could just have so and so or if such and such would happen, then surely things would improve.  It would appear that we are never satisfied, but rather always seeking something else, some new thing, what we don’t already possess, or for peace.

Besides all the things that folks think will make their lives better, what people really desire is that deep peace within that gives us a calm assurance that everything is going to be OK.  What really brings God’s peace is His presence in our lives as we go from day to day fighting the battles that we face in life, and make no mistake about it, everyone is facing a battle of some sort.  The battle can be illness, which has certainly been on everyone’s mind with the explosion of the COVID 19 virus for nearly two years now, or it can be financial troubles, strained family relationships, or the worse battle of all, depression and/or the loss of hope.

Jesus, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6), said in John 14:27:  “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.”  We always hear the beauty contestants say that what they desire is “world peace”, but those of us who know Christ know that world peace is elusive and will never come until Jesus comes to rule in righteousness.  There is certainly nothing wrong with working toward world peace in our little spheres of influence, but it will never happen on human’s terms.

We have hope that 2022 will bring some relief from all the political turmoil, lies, promises by politicians of which they have no ability to fulfill, hateful rhetoric, crime waves, and all the other things that disturb the peace, but I wouldn’t count on it.  This may sound pessimistic, but we will all probably be glad to see 2022 go and look forward to 2023 if history has anything to say about it.  Until we, as a people created by God, understand that true peace comes only from a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ resulting from a genuine repentance of sin and a commitment of our lives to Him, we will never have the peace that we seek.

The bottom line is to not expect the world to change for the better.  Expect, rather, that we are changed to be the examples of peace as found in Christ.  Who knows?  Maybe we will have an impact on the world for real peace.  Have a blessed New Year.