Peace Isn’t Passive

Read

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.”

Think

When most people think of peace, they picture silence. A calm lake. A quiet room. A break from the chaos. We often define peace as the absence of noise, conflict, or pressure. But the peace Jesus offers is something else entirely. It's not the kind that comes when everything goes quiet. It's the kind that holds you steady when everything gets loud.

In John 14, Jesus is preparing his disciples for chaos. He’s telling them he’s going away. He knows fear is about to crash into their lives. He knows their expectations are about to be shattered. And in that moment, He gives them a gift: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” Not just general comfort. His peace. The same peace that allowed him to sleep during storms, to remain silent under accusation, to face the cross without flinching.

This kind of peace isn’t the result of calm circumstances. It’s the result of closeness to God. It’s a settledness in your soul that doesn’t shift with the headlines, the diagnosis, the meeting, or the conflict. And here’s what makes it even more powerful—Jesus says this peace is something we’re responsible to guard: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” That means peace is not just something we feel. It’s something we fight to protect.

Peace isn’t passive. It’s not a personality trait. It’s not something only calm, collected people get to experience. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit, and that means it is grown, cultivated, and strengthened over time. And sometimes, it takes real courage to choose it. To say, “I will not let fear call the shots today.” “I will not let anxiety write the narrative.” “I will not give this situation more power than it deserves.” But that choice isn’t something you make once. It’s a posture you return to over and over again. Especially when everything in you wants to react, control, defend, or withdraw.

Sometimes choosing peace means setting down your phone and refusing to scroll yourself into a spiral. Sometimes it means slowing your breathing in a tense conversation. Sometimes it means trusting God with a situation you can’t fix, even when the what-ifs won’t stop. Peace doesn’t always look like serenity. Sometimes it looks like sweat. Like effort. Like quiet resistance in a very loud world. But don’t miss this: peace is not something you have to generate on your own. You’re not being asked to fake calm. You’re being invited to abide in Christ. That’s where peace lives. In his presence. In his voice. In his promises. Peace is not found in perfect conditions—it’s found in consistent connection. And when that peace begins to grow in you, it changes the way you respond to life. You become less reactive. Less defensive. Less driven by urgency. You start carrying a calm that people can feel—even if they don’t know where it comes from. And that becomes a witness. In a world built on anxiety and outrage, peace stands out. It draws people in. It reflects the heart of the God who calms storms with a word.

Today, you don’t have to wait for everything to quiet down. You don’t need a retreat or a resolution to have peace. You have Jesus. And he hasn’t changed. His peace is available. His Spirit is working. And even if the noise around you doesn’t stop—you can still be still inside.

Apply

Pay attention to what’s stealing your peace today. Is it a conversation you’re dreading? A headline? An inner voice of pressure or shame? Name it. Then pause and pray before responding. Ask Jesus to speak his peace over that moment. And remind yourself out loud: “Peace is not the absence of trouble. It’s the presence of Jesus.”

Pray

Jesus, thank you that your peace is different. It’s not fragile. It doesn’t disappear when life gets hard. Teach me how to live from that place of quiet confidence in you. Help me protect the peace you’ve given and carry it with me today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.