"Peace I leave with you" Christ Jesus said, "my peace I give unto you, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The number of men and women in the world right now who would give almost anything they own to feel some of this peace in their lives must be off the charts. Serenity, when we aren't experiencing it, can seem more important than food or drink. Fortunately, we're never actually in a situation where we can't gain it.
If you and I want to experience the deep peace the Master promised us and so obviously felt himself, a logical way to begin would be to cultivate the same awareness Jesus had that God is all-powerful and constantly near.
A life with peace and equilibrium can be gained when we take to heart the Scriptural promises of God's ever-present love for us. We can learn to trust in Him and actually feel His constant care. This is a very natural thing to do, actually. For, as the Bible tells us, we are God's offspring. Material appearance notwithstanding, He has made you and me spiritually in His own image and likeness, and He is never absent from His children.
One learns from the teachings of Christian Science that God knows us not as buffeted material beings but as His spiritual reflection, in possession right now of His dominion and peace--the same peace that Jesus manifested and said was ours. Christ is always at hand to calm any turbulence we may be going through.
Everything our great Master said and did is worthy of the most careful study. An incident recorded in the Gospel of Luke, which tells about the time Jesus and the disciples encountered a storm on the Sea of Galilee, offers great comfort. When his frightened followers woke him with "Master, master, we perish," not only were the wind and waves rebuked, his students received a rebuke as well. It's interesting to note that Jesus didn't ask them, "Why don't you have any faith?" but "Where is your faith?"
Whatever personal storm we may be in, Christ is in the "boat" with us. It is always wrong for a Christian to let himself or herself become agitated, alarmed, overwhelmed, by human conditions. Why? Because to do so is to show open disbelief in the God Christians profess to trust for their life and well-being.
A tranquil life doesn't mean a life without challenges. The teachings of our Saviour make this clear. "In the world," he said, "ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Abiding peace of mind isn't found in spiritual stagnation. Would we really expect it to be?
Jesus not only "told it like it is"; he showed us the way to behave as we're praying and working through difficulties. Jesus didn't float above the human scene unaffected by the animosity, fatigue, sorrow, and agony he faced; he experienced life deeply. Yet he never let trials turn him away from God. Nor should we.
Sometimes it's not the earthshaking troubles that disturb our peace; it may be common everyday worry that keeps us stirred up. It's no wonder Jesus spoke against our being anxious or fearful about anything, because anxiety selfishly fosters that which is anti-Christ and make s serenity impossible.
However, by adopting Jesus' attitude of always seeking God's will, of doing all to the Father's glory, we will find that there is less and less left in human consciousness that responds to "the prince of this world"--to doubt of God's omnipotence, to self-will and worry.
Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science has this in one of her articles: "Mortals have only to submit to the law of God, come into sympathy with it, and to let His will be done. This unbroken motion of the law of divine Love gives, to the weary and heavy-laden, rest."
Existence free from anxiety is vastly more than lack of emotion. There are people who, to keep some measure of control over their experience, suppress joy, warmth, acts of kindness to their fellow travelers on life's road. But this isn't the way Jesus deals with everyday living. And it has the tragic effect of depriving us and others of feeling the presence of divine Love, which would enhance our peace and well-being. This negative approach to life yields through our stricter attention to our Master's command not to let things worry us.
Abiding peace of mind carries a price tag. Through consistent, heartfelt communing with God, we feel the peace of our unity with Him as His beloved child. And how long should we spend in this prayer? Until our self-filled, materially distracted thoughts begin to yield to trust in God, until we feel some measure of conviction that God--the all directing, supremely governing intelligence of man and the universe--is indeed in charge of everything that concerns us. Thus we experience the peace Christ gives us.
