Peace

Philippians 4:7

English Standard Version (ESV)

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The other day, I had a conversation with a very talented and kind friend of mine who happens to be an atheist.  For the most part, our different beliefs don't get in the way of our friendship; she knows I'm Christian, I know she's not, and that's that.  During this past conversation, however, I found myself at a loss for words. 

My friend came to me looking to me for comfort, spilling all of her problems to me, because she knew she can trust me with them.  She explained to me how hopeless life feels to her and how she doesn't feel like a good person anymore. Of course, I don't believe life is hopeless, so I did point that out to her, but she didn't want to hear anything about that. "This has nothing to do with faith," she scolded me.  But darling, this has everything to do with faith.

Within all of us, I truly believe, there is a gaping hole, or an incompleteness, so to speak.  Some of us think that if we just find our soul-mate, then that hole will be filled. If we could just have that perfect family that we missed out on, then we'd be content. Get that promotion at work. Have a white picket fence. Maybe we think that a bottle of wine will do the trick, or just a couple more rounds of poker. None of these things, however can provide true, lasting happiness on their own -- not even your soul-mate. And why is that? Because this gaping hole you feel is from God.

The reason why people or things cannot fill this hole we feel is because that hole is a longing for a Savior, for a love greater than that of this world.  God creates this longing inside of us so that we will seek Him, and in turn, build a relationship with Him. Psalm 145:19 says that God fulfills the desires of those who fear Him. Ironic, right?  This God who is love and goodness created this horrible dissatisfaction for us because He loves us.  It's our reminder that we are made for something more than this.

When we look to God for fulfillment, we can receive it; however, people and things cannot sustain that kind of pressure. If you expect a friend or a lover make you happy, not only will you be disappointed, but that person will feel inadequate. The reason I found myself at a loss for words while talking to my friend is that she was complaining that she had no hope while rejecting the only hope I had to offer.  I cannot bring her peace. I can listen to her complain, but there's nothing else I, or anyone aside from God, can do for her.  C.S. Lewis once said, “God can't give us peace and happiness apart from Himself because there is no such thing.”  It's not fair to yourself (or to your loved ones) to expect them to bring you happiness, because it's setting everyone involved up for failure.

Now, what I'm not saying is that Jesus is the fix-all card that will make our lives easy. In fact, investing in a relationship with Christ can cause even more problems for us! (Luke 9:23 and Matthew 10:22 can back me up there.) The point isn't to have an easy life, though; the point is to have a complete life, with hope, love, peace, and a satisfaction that only God can provide.

Therefore, find your feeling of completeness by investing in a relationship with God, for the One who placed a longing for something more inside of your heart is the only One who can fulfill it.  Although He won't fix all of your problems, he will bring you the strength and peace necessary to cope with them. "May He grant you your hearts' desire and fulfill all your plans!" -- Psalm 20:4

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