Day 4 - Week 25 - John 14:27 "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."

Sometimes it's good to look at opposites to more fully understand a message. 

To you, what is the opposite of peace?  I think the closest thing that I can identify as the opposite of peace is anxiety.  And boy, does our world today have an abundance of anxiety!  Yet, what does the Bible tell us about anxiety?

1 Peter 5:7  "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Jesus told His disciples that He would leave them with peace...and we are told not to be anxious because God cares so much for us.  The evidence of God's affection for us is the fact that He sent His Son and His Son was obedient in His plan to save us.  Jesus knew that His role would include the gift of peace.  It's because He lived, died, was resurrected and ascended that we can know we have a God who cares for us immensely.  And with that knowledge should come an overwhelming sense of peace

It's a sad commentary, then, that so many of us, even those who proclaim faith in Jesus Christ, are abiding in lives of high anxiety.  We worry about so many things and we live lives full of tension, resulting in both mental and physical unhealthiness. 

We should resolve each day to recite John 14:27 with an immediate follow up of 1 Peter 5:7.  Do you think that might make a difference in your life?  I'm pretty sure it will in mine.