“I’ve said these things to you so that you will have peace in me. In the world you have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world.”
Reflection
Peace – we all want it, but it certainly feels elusive in our own little spaces and throughout the world. Peace can be elusive even within us as we can be anxious about so many things day to day. When I was thinking about peace within myself, I thought about the song “Peace Like a River.” The song says I have peace like a river in my soul, then love like an ocean, and joy like a fountain in my soul. Really, this sums up what we want in life – peace, love, and joy.
Again, different translations say different things – the Amplified Version says we will have distress in this world and to be courageous (confident, undaunted, and filled with joy). It is interesting to me that being filled with joy was put in the parentheses as being part of the meaning of courageous, but when we think about it, isn’t that so very true? When we are brave enough to be filled with joy in the face of trouble, isn’t that truly being brave?
Studies have shown that people who cultivate relationships live longer. Studies also show that people who have a more positive outlook on life will recover from surgery, illness, or accident faster. Those that have the audacity to think that people are generally good tend to be happier and less afraid to do things out in the world.
All of this is bravery, but it is also brave to be anxious about what lies ahead and still forge ahead to try something new. Jesus was telling his disciples in the verses that preceded our verse for today that he was leaving them, and they would be scattered about. It would have been a rather anxious time for them, but he wanted to remind them that the Holy Spirit would be with them.
He wanted to remind them of what he did for us – he overcame the whole world. And if he can do that, then he can surely help us with our day-to-day distress, as this verse points out. All of us have things that stress us out and cause distress every day – I am pretty sure every day something is a concern or a bother. It can be as simple as running late for work or a meeting, getting a wrong order at the coffee shop, or it can be something as serious as a scary diagnosis or getting a call that someone we love has just died suddenly. These things can come at us from all angles. How can we find the courage to find peace, love, and joy? Remember what Jesus has already done and what God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can do in our lives to help center us on them. Jesus knows that life is difficult – his life was difficult, but he knows that relying on God is what he did and what we need to do.
by Janet Waryck
For Pondering and Prayer
If you aren’t familiar with the song “Peace Like a River,” you can Google it. It is an old Sunday School song for me. When I think of a river, an ocean, or a fountain, I think of relaxation, but I also think of the power of water and how having peace, love, and joy can be very powerful forces in our lives. We can use these phrases as a mantra to remind us of the power of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Prayer: God of peace, help us to be brave enough to look to the Holy Spirit to fill us with your peace and to remember that Jesus overcame the world. We know he can help us overcome our distress too. Thank you for all you have done for us already and all you will continue to do in our lives. Amen.