Peace in the Middle

I’ll be honest, I don’t get on social media much.  I don’t listen to or watch much news.  I even skip or mute most commercials when we do watch tv.  But anytime I allow myself to wade into those waters… Anytime I do look at the feed on social media, catch the news or hear a commercial… I always hear a common theme.

Fear.

I get it.  There is a lot of uncertainty.  Things are changing.  People are afraid of the answer to the ultimate question, “What if…”

And fear sells.  It’s the reason to buy almost every product or service out there.  We don’t want that to happen to us.  We want to be protected.  We hyper-value safety in our seat belt culture we’ve created.  And so we continue to struggle with…

Fear.

What if…?

Who…?

What happens when…?

We’re trying to live life in the middle.  Between what we know in the past & what might be but is yet unknown in the future.  And life in the middle can be hard.  Life in the middle means not knowing.  Life in the middle means the absence of certainty, security, clarity & safety.

We long for certainty don’t we?  We crave security.  We’re desperate for clarity.  We want to know.

But, that wasn’t how we were created.

We were created for so much more.

How will the world come to know the Prince of Peace if those who claim to follow him are full of worry & anxiety &…

Fear?

Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30

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Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.”  Matthew 5:9

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Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

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Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

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The same Jesus said these words who was born in a stable to a woman who was not yet married when he was conceived.

This same Jesus said these words who’s early life was filled with moving from place to place to avoid the wrath of the authorities as many children were killed for fear a new king had been born.

This same Jesus said these words who lived in a time when Herod was king, Pilate was governor & Ceaser Augustus ruled the Roman empire.  A time of desperation, oppression, & longing… deep longing for a better day.  For a Messiah, a Savior, to come.

So He came.

The Prince of Peace was born into a world of turmoil.  A world of Chaos.  Confusion.  Uncertainty.  Worry.  And…

Fear.

And because He came we don’t have to fear anymore.

As the old hymn teaches us, “Because He lives we can face tomorrow.”

His friend, the beloved disciple John, reminded us, “Perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18

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So today, may we be a people of peace.  Because Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  Because when we, the followers of Jesus, live into & out of this peace we communicate to the world around us that there is a God.  We know His name.  And He knows our names too. (Isaiah 49.16)

So, we have nothing to

Fear.

We don’t have to be

Afraid.

Jesus is alive & well.  We know how the story ends.  God wins.

May we live out of the truth of the gospel today.  May we not be afraid.  May we be filled with

Peace.