Unlikely Prince

Years ago, my dear friend and mentor offered to teach me her method of writing a Bible study. When she asked me to pick a topic, “peace” immediately came to mind since for some reason I couldn’t fully comprehend, many of the New Testament epistles start with greetings of peace. What is so important about peace that numerous books of the Bible start or end with it? Our studies were intensive, teaching me on paper the benefits of peace, obstacles to it, conditions affiliated with it and much more.

A year later, a heart wrenching situation caused me to flee the Latin American country my heart still calls home. In the mere forty-eight hours I had to pack my belongings while dealing with the current turmoil I found myself in, I left my precious notes behind. However, in the long, arduous days and months that ensued, my concept of peace extended beyond paper and into the daily activities of my life. You see, part of me begged for a knight in shining armor to come sweep me away. Life’s realities were too harsh for me to handle and I desperately craved a respite. I longed to hear words of affirmation telling me I had some value. Fortunately, I got much more than a knight. I got a prince. Do you know him? Isaiah called him the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

There is this bizarre phenomenon I’ve noticed in the lives of some of my friends as they traverse the most trying, difficult portions of their lives. As the world spins faster and faster around them, blurring everything into a nonsensical array, their voices become a little calmer, their eyes, although distraught through betrayal, death or other unforeseen tragedies, shine a little brighter and they exude an air of something that one might even be envious of: peace. What causes this strange happening? I can’t speak for them, but I’d wager they realized life was too difficult to navigate on their own and started relying fully on their Maker. Perhaps for most of us we must come to the end of ourselves before we can truly find the beginning of ourselves. I think Jesus mentioned something about that: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

My question in response to this is simple, although the answer might not be as succinct. I ask both you and myself, are we ready–more importantly, are we willing–to deny ourselves? To forfeit the false belief that God’s number one priority is to keep me safe as I achieve the American dream in exchange for the truth that God jealously, passionately desires my affections, longing to be the thing which consumes me. To deny that which we have given great value to serve that which is invaluable. It is no easy task, yet I can’t help but think that as we stop striving for the things that war against our souls and lean more into the Lover of our Souls, we just might find. . .

Peace.

The LORD make his face shine upon you
       and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you
       and give you peace.” Numbers 6:25, 26