The Savior's Peace

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”

The first scripture I quoted (John 14:27) is one of my all-time favorites. It's one of the few that I have (mostly) memorized. I think it really speaks to me because there have been so many times in my life when I have needed the Lord's peace more than just about anything else. During the hardest trials,  the peace of knowing that everything will be okay gave me the strength to keep going, and the courage to face whatever challenges came my way. The Savior's peace didn't take away my struggles, nor did it suddenly make everything okay. That's not how it works.

The peace that Jesus promised His apostles (and us) is greater than the temporary or conditional peace that the world hopes for. The world thinks that peace comes only when there is no conflict, war, worries, trials, or personal dissatisfaction. In contrast, Jesus teaches us that true peace can come regardless of what is going on in our lives or in the world around us. As He said, we will have tribulation in the world, but we can be “of good cheer” anyways, because we know that He has overcome the world. Because of Jesus Christ and His gospel, we know who we are, where we are going, and how we are going to get there. We have the peace of knowing that this life is just another step on our journey, not our final destination.

I'm not even sure I understand how the Savior gives us peace when everything around us says that we should be anxious, stressed, and unhappy. All that I know is that it is possible to feel that peace in the midst of the storms of life, and for that I am eternally grateful.