There's no doubt that COVID has had a very serious and lasting impact upon various aspects of national life. And of course this includes the area of mental health, with anxiety, and its cousin depression, having reached unprecedented levels in the UK today. Sadly however, though many of us long to find true and lasting peace of mind... we're looking for it in the wrong direction! This is because Christ Jesus tells us that there are 2 sources of peace... one offered by the world, the other offered by Him...
'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
But as Christianity is considered by the vast majority to be an out-dated belief system, most men and women look for the peace the world gives. They look to entertainment, holidays, luxury, comfort, alcohol (and other drugs), money, possessions, cruises etc... in fact, anything that might offer some form of distraction from the daily grind. Yet the peace offered by Christ Jesus is so different.
Now in my humble opinion, that which is offered by the world is cheap and shoddy compared with the peace offered by the Lord which is costly and precious. And the differences between these 2 forms of peace can be summarised in the following way...
The world's peace is SHALLOW... whilst the Lord's peace is DEEP
It offers answers to what are really 'symptoms' without getting to the root of the problem... my alienation from the Lord through sin... not just lying & stealing but in living to please myself rather than God. And after all, if a medical diagnosis is faulty then the subsequent treatment plan will also prove inadequate, ineffective and possibly even dangerous.
On the other hand, the Lord's peace reaches the greatest need of our hearts, to be 'right' with Him. And if in seeking His forgiveness in true sincerity, with repentance and faith, He'll restore us to the relationship He wanted us to have with Him from the very start...
'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'
Jeremiah 29:13
The world's peace is TRANSIENT... whilst the Lord's peace is LASTING
It doesn't last... harmony one day and discord the next! Just look at human relationships. No wonder countries fail to live at peace with one another when even neighbours fall out. And today, with the average British marriage lasting only 8 years, many of us clearly can't even live with those we profess to love!
This is because unlike our daily circumstances, with a peace which might well be here today and gone tomorrow, He never changes...
'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.'
Hebrews 13:8
The world's peace is UNSURE... whilst the Lord's peace is CERTAIN
This is because governments can't establish it, money can't buy it and laws can't ensure it.
Of course, to know the peace OF God we must first find peace WITH God, and Christ Jesus doesn't simply point the way... He IS the Way!...
'I am the way and the truth and the life.
No-one cones to the Father except through me.'
John 14:6
And then in becoming a Christian we can say...
'He Himself is our peace...'
Ephesians 2:14
