7 Biblical Principles for Choosing Peace in Troubled Times: Part 1

7 Biblical Principles for Choosing Peace in Troubled Times

This is my second article this year focused on peace. Last time, we defined peace, highlighted ten potential peace stealers, and discussed what it means to have peace with God – peace that comes through acknowledging, receiving, and identifying with everything Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross. If you missed it, please, click HERE to read it.

Today’s article will focus on finding and maintaining the peace of God irrespective of life’s circumstances. John chapters 14-16 document Jesus’ heart-to-heart discussion with His disciples the night before He was crucified. Jesus knew His time had come, so He spent time teaching and preparing His disciples for life, ministry, and the troubles awaiting them. Jesus plainly told them they would be hated, persecuted, ostracized, and even killed! (See John 15:18-20 and John 16:2.)

These men had left all they had – homes, families, professions, friends, etc. – to follow Jesus for three solid years, and now Jesus was telling them that He was leaving them. Can you imagine the confusion and sorrow they must have felt?

Jesus loved them, so He gave them specific instructions on how to overcome troubled times. He began His conversation by telling them in John 14:1 that they should not let their circumstances trouble their hearts. In John 16:33 (NIV), He ended with the words, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The instructions He gave them are all relatable to our lives. We will all face varying degrees of trouble and adversity. As I have encountered many anxious moments recently, I have found His words comforting and encouraging. I have received Jesus’ words as though He is speaking directly to me, and that is why I decided to write this article on choosing peace in troubled times based on John 14-16.

This will by no means be an exhaustive study of John 14-16. I will not include everything Jesus said, so I encourage you to pick your Bible and study the text yourself.

Let’s go!

Trust Jesus, and Do not Focus on your Circumstances

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1

Heart in this verse refers to our inner selves, i.e., our thoughts, character, mind, and intentions.

Jesus instructed His disciples to resist allowing their circumstances to agitate and trouble their thoughts and minds. He was not saying they would not experience trouble – He knew they would. But instead of focusing on their problems, Jesus comforted them and commanded them to put their faith and trust in God and Him. He assured them they could trust Him (and His words) just as they trusted Father God because He and the Father are One (John 14:10; 10:30).

Faith is simply taking God at His word. It is believing Him and stepping out to do what He said you should, irrespective of contradictory circumstances. To believe Jesus is to trust that He will do what He said He would. And faith is essential for living in God’s peace.

Scripture tells us that to be saved, we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10). But our faith is not restricted to our salvation experience alone. We must believe in Jesus for salvation and also believe in Him to live a victorious Christian life.

Just like His disciples, Jesus has not promised us a trouble-free life. He has assured us that we can have a peaceful, untroubled mind when we trust in our loving Father “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).

Reflect

Do you believe in God?
Do you believe He loves you, keeps His Word, and fulfills His promises?
Do you believe that you- yes, even you- can enjoy the peace of God?

If your faith feels weak, here are two practical steps you can take:

Spend time in the Word, and your faith will begin to grow because faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
Pause and reflect on the times that God has proven Himself faithful to you, your family, and your friends.

Choose Peace in Troubled Times by Keeping a Heavenly Focus

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14: 2-3

Jesus promised His disciples that they would be with Him in Heaven.

The greatest joy of a believer is that we get to spend eternity with Jesus. Everything in this world is temporary, including our troubles.

Jesus is not implying that we should throw in the towel and drag through life anxious, depressed, and waiting for death to deliver us from misery. Not at all!

Jesus wants us to put on the full armor, which He gave us as protection and defense against the devil, who may use trouble as a tool to detract us from our purpose in this life. Ephesians 6:15 lists the shoes of peace as armor, and 1 Thessalonians 5:8 lists the helmet of the hope of salvation as another piece of armor. The helmet of hope protects our minds from despair and despondency just as a physical helmet protects the skull and brain.

Jesus wants us to stand tall against the enemy’s tricks as we go through life with peace and hope. He wants us to complete our earthly mission with expectancy, knowing He has prepared for us to reign and rule with Him for all eternity (Revelation 2:25-26). Hopelessness is an energy drainer, but when our hope is anchored in Christ, knowing that we will see Him face to face, we can go through life with strength and perseverance (Hebrews 6:18-19).

If we already know how it’s going to end, then there is no reason for us to live a fearful life.

Reflect

How is the reality of Heaven impacting your life today?

Colossians 3:2 tells us to set our minds on things above, not earthly things. We can choose peace in troubled times by fixing our minds and spending time on things with eternal value. When we do so, the troubles of this temporary world lose their sting.

Accept Jesus as the Only Way to the Father

^“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

We can choose peace in troubled times by depending on Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life.

Jesus boldly declared that He is the only Way to the Father. If we want to have a relationship with the Father, we must go through Jesus. There is no other way. True, lasting peace is alien to those who do not have a relationship with the Father. Click HERE to be directed to my last post on peace with God through the Cross.

Even when we already have a relationship with the Father through Jesus, Jesus remains the only Way, the Truth, and Life. We can forever depend on Him for guidance, truth, and sustenance.

Do you feel lost? – Jesus is the Way
Are you confused and trying to make sense of too much conflicting information? – Jesus is the Truth
Do you feel depleted of inner strength and peace – Jesus is the Life.

Pray! Pray!! Pray!!!

In the same conversation with His disciples, Jesus repeatedly invited them to pray and ask God for their needs in His name. Obviously, when we bring our concerns to the Father in Jesus’ name, our requests must align with the Word of God. For example, it would do us no good to pray to God to zap someone who hurt us with lightning because God does not want us to seek revenge (Romans 12:19).

Slowly read the three Scriptures below, from John chapters 14-16, where I emphasized the references to “ask in my name.”

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:12-14

“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:23-24

“In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.” John 16:26

But why so specific? Why do we need to ask in Jesus’ name?

Philippians 2:9-10 tells us that “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…”

This means that no matter what need or concern you have today, no matter how intense or prolonged it has lasted, it remains subject to the name of Jesus.

As followers of Jesus, He has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to do great things for His glory. Jesus even went further to state that we would do greater things when we ask in His name. Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords promised to back us up. Therefore, there is no reason to shrink back in timidity and lose our peace.

Jesus’ words remind me that I do not have to respond in fear when tempted to be anxious. We can choose peace in troubled times by consistently answering anxiety with a prayer to God and asking Him for our specific needs in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We can trust God to answer us and leave the results to Him.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6-7 NLT

Reflect

Is anything weighing heavily on your mind? Why not ask the Father for help in Jesus’ name?

Prayer

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” In Jesus’ name, Amen! Romans 15:13 NIV

Until next time….

Chizobam Idahosa

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

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