“Go in peace,†the worship leader said at the end of my first chapel service at my Christian university. I had never heard the phrase before, but after hearing it at every following chapel, I learned that some churches close every service with the words “go in peace.†It was amusing at first to anticipate this catchphrase, but then I realized just how powerful those words are.
It made me wonder, what does it look like to actually go in peace?
First, before you go in peace, you have to come into peace. God invites us to refocus on Jesus, the Prince of Peace, in the middle of the craziness of the world (Isaiah 9:6). Coming into peace is drawing near to God and listening to Him, whether through prayer, reading and reflecting on His Word, doing a Bible study or worship night, or attending a church gathering.
In Luke 7, a woman “who lived a sinful life†came to Jesus and, weeping, anointed His feet with perfume and wiped them with her hair (verses 37-38). While some people looked down on her, Jesus defended her. He said that her sins were forgiven, and He explained that her actions were done out of love for God. Then He told her to “go in peace†(verse 50).
Like this woman, we can come to Jesus knowing that He will accept us. When we admit our sin to Him and accept His gift of eternal life through His death and resurrection, we too can go in peace knowing that we are forever loved by God. Our peace comes from knowing we have a secure future with Jesus. Through faith, we have an unshakeable hope wherever we go, no matter what the future holds.
It’s peace during a challenging exam or a bad storm. It’s peace in health challenges and family struggles. It’s peace in war and persecution. It’s peace that passes understanding.
Our world is broken by sin and full of chaos, but with Jesus, we can have peace no matter what we face because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). • Abby Ciona
• Can you think of a time you came into God’s peace, either by yourself or with others?
• Read Colossians 3:12-17. According to these verses, what does it look like to live in the peace that Jesus has given us? Who can you share Jesus’s peace with today?
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)
Read Verses:
Heb.3.1-Heb.3.6|Heb.4.14-Heb.4.16|Heb.10.19-Heb.10.23
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