{The twelfth and final installment in the In ____We Trust Series}
Each and every topic in this series has convicted me. They’ve all added up. Here’s what I’m finding as I wrap it up...
Every “thing” I trust in besides God, I trust in with one goal in my heart. Obtaining peace.
I want the easy way because I want things to occur peacefully. I rely more on relationships than the Lord because I crave the feeling of peace that comes with connection. My plans, my busy habit, my obsession with knowing anything and everything- these all are submitted to in my heart because of what I hope to get out of them: peace.
You too?
We want peace. We are desperate for peace.
As a people and as families, peace is the goal in everyday life. As churches, as a country, as a generation in this world, we do what we do to gain peace. It’s the banner we raise and aspire to.
We want to gain peace because we trust peace is the answer to all problems.
This isn’t a new issue.
Jesus addressed it head-on: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34.)
People back then wanted peace to be the solution.
But the issue is even older. We read about it in Ezekiel 13:10:
“…They lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash.”
The peace we seek is all too often just whitewash.
The kind of peace we seek offers no resolution, no redemption. It’s a cover up for the stuff we’re tired of looking at, the stuff we’re ashamed of.
Yet Scripture is clear.
There is real peace available to us, and it isn’t found in jobs, on Google, in knowing the outcome, or in avoiding the scary. We don’t gain real peace by doing more or planning things out perfectly. Peace isn’t something to be controlled or had.
Peace is someone we turn to.
As Ephesians 2:14 proclaims:
“He Himself is our peace.”
Oh, Lord. This is convicting. This changes things.
We’re tired. I hear it in the media, I hear it from everyone I know, I hear it from my own lips day after day.
We are tired of manufacturing our own forms of peace and seeking our own sources of peace.
Stacking our hopes and our sense of security upon these man-made sources of peace results in collapse. We end up hunched under them, holding them up by ourselves. Our versions of peace fail because they were never meant to hold our trust. They buckle under the weight, and so do we.
Pursuing peace instead of resting in the One who is our Peace is exhausting and disappointing.
Friends- if we aren’t trusting the one who has bridged all of sin to make peace between us and God to give us true peace in this life, what are we doing?
Trust is balanced precariously on belief: belief the one we trust in is trustworthy.
The only one worthy of this trust, the only one actually able to trade the troubles of this world and our lives for lasting peace, is Christ Himself.
We simply need to come before Him. To hand it all over.
We need to trust Christ that He is who He says is: OUR PEACE.
In your life, trust Him to be who He alone is. Amen?
Thanks to all who participated in this series as readers, comment-encouragers, and guest writers. I have been blessed, and I know many others have too.
What about you? How do you fill in the blank: In ______ I Trust?
This post may also be shared on: #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, #Intentionally Pursuing, #WomenWithIntention, #TellHiStory, #Thought-Provoking Thursday, #DanceWithJesus, #LLMLinkup, Faith-Filled Friday, Sitting Among Friends, and #SoulSurvivalLinkup.
Thank you for this series! It’s been great and so convicting, encouraging and spot on!
I am honored to be a part of it!
Thanks for broaching hard topics and turning our eyes to Jesus, author and finisher of our faith!
Thank you, Dana, for participating in the pointing away from misplaced trust to the one who is trustworthy! : )
Hi Bethany
I am following you at Soul Survival. I loved this: We are tired of manufacturing our own forms of peace and seeking our own sources of peace.
Blessings,
Janis
If you haven’t Joined Word of God Speak I would love you to – each weekend.
Hi Janis! So grateful! I would love to join but I don’t do anything blog-related on weekends (apart from pre-scheduled posts!) Thank you for the invitation- I will try to stop by one of these Mondays!
A great reminder to us all Bethany that He is our only real peace.
Beautiful words! Instead of running around in circles and becoming more exhausted than we already are, we need to invite the One who is peace into our lives. These words were very convicting for me…. “Pursuing peace instead of resting in the One who is our Peace is exhausting and disappointing.” Beautiful! Have a blessed day!
Mary- I think I’ve got a whole book to write on just that quote. So thankful for your encouragement and wise word “invite!”
Bethany, what a great way to wrap up this series. It’s so true. So many of us do whatever we must to have peace. But, really, what is peace without God as its foundation? Trusting Jesus is the only way to know true peace. Thank you so much for this reminder!
Thank you Jeanne : ) No peace apart from Him who is trustworthy to be our peace!
Oh my, yes! I’m so guilty of all too often seeking peace and not the Peace-Giver. Whitewashing, yes, that’s what it is, so so true. Convicting and challenging, thank you for this.
Thank you, Anna! Yes- the Lord’s word “whitewash” just astounded me. A hearty amen.
I love how you tied the whole series together here and I think that’s so true that in all the things we turn to we are seeking peace but often it is just whitewash. Our true peace has to be found in Jesus. Thanks for this series and for letting me take part!
Carly! Thank you so much for participating! You are a blessing. I didn’t expect peace and trust to be so closely related, but I discovered they are throughout this series- now Lord help me and others to trust in Jesus alone for peace!
There is so much wisdom here and so much to think on. It struck me when you brought in Matthew 10:34, His words that are the cutting in two kind of sword is actually the only way that peace can come. It made me think of Ecclesiastes 1:9… and somehow, when we go back to see the way the world has failed to usher peace in, we need to remember that we have to continually go back to His Word to get filled up on the peace that passes all understanding. 🙂
After reading so much political mumbo-jumbo today, this post blessed me. Thank you!
Blessings,
Dawn
Your thoughts just pull together a conversation my husband and I had last night on the political stuff of today and how God works- including bringing peace in the unexpected way of dividing and breaking things down. Thank you for the thoughtful and thought-provoking comment, Dawn!
So true, Bethany! I’d venture to say the perfect peace we humans typically want cannot be attained entirely in this broken and sinful world. We may enjoy glimmers of it as we rest in Jesus despite the daily chaos. But so many who are searching for it in their earthly circumstances do not understand that what they crave is a heavenly existence. The only way to bring a little bit of heaven to earth is to get more Jesus in the people who live here! Such a wonderful and thought provoking series! xo
Thanks, Liz! And amen. Good point. Full peace, whole peace, will be in heaven. Love that He graces us with peace even while on earth by giving us Himself. Yes- more Jesus! : ) Thanks so much for participating and contributing in this discussion, Liz, I’ve been so blessed by your words!