Dealing With AnxietySample

The Source of Peace

John 14:27

Anxiety and peace cannot coexist. Where anxiety is present, peace is absent.

The Greek word for "peace" literally means to bind together, to join, to weave together. It means that a person is bound, woven, and joined together with self, with God, and with others. The Hebrew word for "peace" (shalom) speaks of much more. It means experiencing the highest good, possessing all the inner good possible. It means wholeness and soundness.

There is the peace of the world, which is a peace that is sought through pleasure, satisfaction, positive thinking, or denial of problems. This "peace" leads to anxious thoughts and feelings. There is also the peace of Christ. The peace of Christ includes:

1. Bosom peace - a peace deep within. It is a tranquility of mind, composure, a peace that is calm in the face of bad circumstances and situations.

2. A peace of conquest - a peace that is independent of conditions and environment; the peace which no sorrow, no danger, no experience can take away.

3. A peace of assurance - the peace of unquestionable confidence; the peace with a sure knowledge that one's life is in the hands of God.

4. The peace of intimacy with God - the peace of the highest good. It is the peace that settles the mind, strengthens the will, and establishes the heart.

Ultimately, peace is always born out of reconciliation. Its source is found only in the reconciliation brought about by Jesus Christ. Peace always has to do with personal relationships: a person's relationship to themselves, to God, and to the people around them. We must be bound, woven, and joined together with ourselves, with God, and with others to experience true peace and freedom from anxiety.

Study Questions:

· How would you define peace?

· Which kind of peace are you struggling with the most? Which one do you experience the most?

· Is there some area of your life in which you need to seek God for peace?

· Is there somebody in your life with whom you need reconciliation?