Traffic. I hate it.
Leaving Chattanooga in the afternoon on any weekday is absolutely nuts.
One of my worst experiences with this traffic was on my way home from Thanksgiving this year. It wasn’t due to the amount of time it took to get through, but it was more of the difficulty of merging.
Yes, the beautiful act of trying to squeeze into any few feet of road because no one will let you over. That’s exactly how it happened for me.
I sat there forever just waiting for someone to allow me to merge into the exit, even though I was so far away. It seemed a bit bizarre. I must have been waiting to merge over at least 15 cars.
But then, praise the Lord, a courteous old man in a pickup truck waved me over. My saving grace.
With his one act, I felt the release of an anxiety that had been building within me.
Thank God for kind drivers.
This week, we step into the second week of advent: peace.
When I think of peace I immediately think of “Miss Congeniality”. When each beauty pageant contestant is confronted with the question “What is one thing our society needs?” each replies with “world peace”. Even Sandra Bullock’s character ends up adding that into her answer (to her own dismay) and the crowd erupts into cheers and applause.
See, it’s an easy answer because 1) we know we want peace, but 2) some don’t truly know how to achieve it.
I have good news! We as Christians have access to the sole thing that can bring the earth peace:
Jesus Christ.
In fact, we see in Scripture we see that Jesus is the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus Christ was peace sent to earth, and that’s why we can celebrate this peace.
And to bring us even more comfort, that peace didn’t leave when Jesus ascended into heaven. Instead, He left it with us.
“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.”
John 14:27
This Scripture in itself is what brings a calmness to my troubled soul. It brings relief to my anxious tendencies.
The mere thought of getting to experience peace through Christ Jesus is what gives me hope.
Sadly, I think we often allow the things of the world to overwhelm us; so much so that we forget about the peace of Christ that was left with us.
In reality, the thing that we relieve all that overwhelms us with is Jesus.
How do we get others to experience this peace? We speak Jesus to our communities, country, and the nations. Peace found in Jesus is our only solution.
So when we mourn the state of our world on social media, put down the generations to come for endless reasons, or we questions why we can’t find common ground in our nation- we should really be asking ourselves:
Am I speaking Jesus into the world?
Speaking Jesus into the world is what I find equivalent to the driver that allowed me to merge into the exit lane.
Car after car kept pulling forward, more interested in getting out (we have all been there), and with every car that pushed forward, I began to feel more nervous and restless.
All it took was that one act of kindness to relieve that build of feeling uneasy.
Friends, all it takes from us is the simple act of speaking Jesus into those around us for us to begin to see the chaos of life disappear.
I’m not saying it goes away, but if we begin to speak the name and character of Jesus into those around us, then they too can feel the peace that we should constantly be reminding ourselves of.
The more peace others begin to feel in Christ, the more peaceful the world has the opportunity to be.
But it takes more than one person.
We cannot expect others to speak Jesus on our behalf- it takes us all.
And when we allow that peace to move in us, we find that we will also have true joy (Proverbs 12:20), which is what we celebrate in the third week of advent!
One of the best reminders of the importance of bringing the light and peace of Jesus for me has been found in the song “I Speak Jesus”, originally released by “Here Be Lions” but made popular by Charity Gayle.
The lyrics remind us of how we find peace in the presence and name of Jesus, and when we find that peace, we are to continually speak the name of Jesus so others can find peace in His presence as well.
It carries the need to speak Jesus into times of depression, anxiety, and addictions until they dissipate. And this is why:
The name of Jesus holds the power to bring healing and life to all situations of life, and that's exactly what the chorus echoes.
“Your Name is power, Your Name is healing, Your Name is life. Break every stronghold, shine through the shadows, burn like a fire”.
What I love most about this song is the climax of not just speaking Jesus, but shouting the name of Jesus from the mountains to the streets, and into all environments in which we find ourselves in (including our homes).
The holy name and person of Jesus is what gives peace.
Will you find peace in Him today?
Will you spread that peace that is only found in Christ with others?
Will you speak Jesus into the world?
Songs for reflection, prayer, and singing:
“I Speak Jesus” - Charity Gayle, Steven Musso
“Peace in Christ” - McKenna Hixson
“Let There Be Peace on Earth”
“Place of Freedom” - Highlands Worship
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