The Prince of Perfect Peace

What does the season of Christmas bring up in you?

When I look back on the Christmases of my childhood I can remember warmth from a crackling fireplace, a building excitement, the smell of my Grandmama’s famous spaghetti on Christmas Eve, a ton of laughter, hearing my Grandaddy’s baritone voice reading from the book of Luke the account of Jesus’ miraculous birth, and a post unwrapping huge pile of joyful mess in the living room surrounded by the people that I love the most. In all of this, Jesus was glorified.

Now I am all grown. A mama of three beautiful children and a wife to a wonderful husband. The goodness of Jesus overwhelms me sometimes, and I have to admit that I almost always break down in tearful worship whenever I hear the song “The Goodness of God” played.

But in the midst of all the beauty, the pressures of life can still get me in a chokehold of stress and anxiety during this season. I have a friend who calls it being “Decembered”. Homeschooling, co-op events, menu planning, party hosting, grocery shopping for said parties, rehearsals for Christmas productions, gift shopping and wrapping, decorating, traveling to other cities, are all mixed in with everything else that must get done on a daily basis. To top it all off, for added sparkle, sprinkle in a broken oven right in the middle of December..ahhh *chef’s kiss* .

For mamas, this can snowball (no pun intended) into an insurmountable pressure of trying to get it all done. If you resonate with this, just know that Jesus sees you and is with you. You are absolutely not alone.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28

This verse was whispered into my heart early one morning a couple of weeks ago by the Holy Spirit as I sat with my coffee and stared blankly at our Christmas tree before the kids awoke. I had hit my wall; the wall where my strength failed and I surrendered to His. Where His strength is made perfect in my weakness.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

He took me to Isaiah 9:6-7

“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

Isaiah 9:6-7

Jesus, the Prince of Perfect Peace

Prince of Peace. The name leapt off of the page and resonated within my spirit. This is who He is, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the ultimate gift to humanity from God. Jesus has many titles, but in this post, I sense that He wants me to highlight to us His title, Jahovah Shalom (Judges 6:23-24)

From the beginning of creation, God has set out to reveal Himself to mankind. His dream from the beginning has been beautifully perfect intimacy with us, which can be seen throughout scripture, but sin entered the scene in Genesis 3. The union that humanity shared with God was severed the moment Eve chose to agree with the lying voice of Satan. She sank her teeth into the flesh of the fruit that her loving Creator forbid her to partake and that one act left a chasm between us and the One who loves us more than we could ever comprehend. But God had a plan.

The sound of a newborn’s cry in a musty, cold stable in Bethlehem carried the weight of God’s voice declaring to all of humanity “I LOVE YOU”. His declaration of love built to a glorious crescendo when His only Son, nailed to a Roman cross, cried out “IT IS FINISHED!”

Jesus said, “The one who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) He came to reveal the Father to us. Jesus, the One who brings true everlasting peace, the peace that surpasses all human understanding, is the only answer to any anxiety that can attack our minds. True peace comes from God alone.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 1:7

When God sent His one and only Son to die in our place, rose Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand; that saving power made it possible for anyone who receives Him to have peace with Him. When you place your faith in Jesus, the Prince of Peace, His blood washes you clean and reconciles us to Him.

“We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

When Jesus said, “ 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.” in John 14:27, He highlights that there is a difference between the peace that He gives to us and the superficial “peace” that the world offers us.

What kind of peace does the world have to offer? Medication for anxiety and depression, meditation, “healing” crystals, doing things that only serve the flesh in the moment to bring a brief false sense of peace. These do not bring a true lasting peace, but only pull us further into darkness and despair over time.

When we surrender to the Lordship of Jesus and allow the indwelling of His Holy Spirit to govern our lives, we become more and more in line with His heart and His character illuminates through us. When we surrender to God’s perfect will for our lives, which can be found in His word, the Holy Spirit teaches us how to abide in the peace that only Jesus provides.

Isaiah 26:3 says this,

“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.”

The phrase, “perfect peace” is translated in Hebrew Shalom meaning health, happiness, and well-being. The word for “mind” is translated in Hebrew as a word that means “creative imagination”, which is where our plans, ideas, and dreams are seated. Our innermost thought life must stay on Jesus. When life is heavy, when anxiety threatens to send you into a tailspin, when all you can do is pour your tears out at His feet, hold on to Him. Set your gaze on Jesus, cling to the cross, have single eyes only for Him, because He is worthy of our deep trust.

Yes, sometimes life can be so painful that it takes our breath away. Jesus said that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but He came that we may have life and have it to the full. (see John 10:10) The promise in Isaiah 26:3 says that Jesus will keep us in perfect peace. That word “keep” is translated as titzor meaning “to watch or guard”. Jesus promises us that if we rest, lean on, and fix all of the support of our minds on Him alone, He will guard our minds from every attack that could rob us of our peace.

Anything that you are facing today, a struggling marriage, crippling anxiety, a wayward child, infertility, financial troubles, sickness, even just the busyness of the Christmas season…Jesus is the answer.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

When we let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, which only takes place if we completely trust Him and fix our mind on Him, then He will guard our minds by overthrowing the lies of the accuser, any doubts that we can tell ourselves, or anything else that can rob us of peace.

Perfect peace is available through the Prince of Peace, Jesus. It is up to us to walk in it by keeping our heart and mind solely focused on the promises and power of God and staying at the feet of Jesus, allowing His presence to do the mighty work in every area of our lives. Here’s the thing, that mighty work will always call for us to let go and turn away from things that are not glorifying Him; things that we may be consuming through the means of our flesh.

We can come into agreement with the very things that are destroying our minds.

Jesus wants us to turn away from such things. Ask Him to reveal you to you, to expose anything that you have latched on to that is hindering your walk with Him. He is faithful, He loves you, and He will tell you, but it will be up to you to repent and turn away from it completely. The Holy Spirit will be your Helper in giving you the strength to walk away from it.

So this Christmas, when anxiety comes knocking on the door of your mind, cling to Jesus. Let things go, slow down, and worship Him. Fixing our mind on Him in worshipful submission is the best way to wrap up the end of a year while dreaming with Him for the next.

The Prince of Peace loves you, will you surrender to Him?

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7