The Quiet That Enables Christ's Peace

In John 14:27 we read that Jesus gives not as the world gives. 

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27a).

So what we look for from the world but do not get, we receive—if we are quiet enough to receive it—from Christ:

Affirmation.

Truth.

Unconditional guidance and wisdom.

Assurance that we are created and maintained in love.

Confidence that we can continue on in this life.

Clear expectations set by Christ and the readiness to go after those expectations because God has told us that we can meet them. 

Forgiveness always, rejection never. 

“Well done” from God when we have made it our ambition to answer to Him alone, and in sincerity and humility live out that ambition pledged to Him. 

The world cannot be trusted because people, including myself, cannot be trusted. 

People can be swayed, momentarily capsized, deluded, justified, implored, and reconciled to themselves and others through flattery and agendas. 

People are tantalized and enamored by ideologies that encumber and lead astray.

And it happens through distraction. 

Distraction is the barring of reflection.

For Christians, distraction is opposition to Christian maturity in Christ.

Distraction, such as:

Turning the TV on first thing every morning, and first thing when a person walks into their home at night.

Facebook.

Surfing the internet.

Constant podcasts.

Internal dialogue with ourself prodded on by a critical spirit or victimhood.

Filling every moment with doing.

All of it all of the time keeps us from the silence that would allow us to speak to God and Him to us.

“Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:38-42).

Martha was distracted. Mary was not.

I love the picture of Mary here because Mary was not praying. She was sitting, quietly and undistracted, intent on Jesus.

Some folks have empowered “prayer” to comprise their only interaction with God. 

Depending on what that prayer life is: formal, corporate, rote or sincerely confessional—we may be missing out on the talking to God and Him talking to us part.

Prayer is often one-sided: we talk and God listens.

The quiet I am talking about is the quiet that allows no distractions to come between us and God so that not only can we converse with Him, but He converses with us and we listen. 

I don’t call this prayer. 

Without quiet I would have missed so much about myself that needed God’s cleansing, and which required my first agreeing that I needed cleansing. 

It has taken years for me to notice and finally observe things about myself that I would never have known because I distracted myself away from the truth about myself through religiosity, volunteer work, career ambition, roles and responsibilities, and the noise of my inner voice of self-righteousness or self-condemnation.

Seeing myself as I really am in God’s estimation, along with the outcomes I myself have played a part in, could never have happened if I had not shut down the noise and distraction that kept me from seeing, acknowledging and agreeing with God about His revelations. 

It is in quiet where His call to work on ourself begins. 

It is in quiet where His cleansing happens.

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;

According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

And cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

And my sin is ever before me.

Against You, You only, I have sinned

And done what is evil in Your sight,

So that You are justified when You speak

And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in inequity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,

And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness,

Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins

And blot out all my iniquities.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:1-10).

I’m not always ready to accept what God reveals to me in quiet times. 

Sometimes it takes many long hours with God to fully grasp what is actually going on—with myself—and with other people. 

But as God continues to play life back to me, I begin to see what He sees. That is why His revelation is the only revelation, because it is:

Truthful without fear. 

Truthful without blame. 

Truthful without exceptions. 

Truthful without doubt.

And truthful with freeing confirmation.

It is safe to sit with God in conversation. 

In His gentle revealing of the worst about me I also grasp His unequivocal and very warm care and compassion. And that is how I lam learning to incorporate that same care and compassion for others when His truth about them also comes to light. That is when I see people as they are, not as I have made them.

Quiet listening to God in Christ.

Only from there are personal, familial and societal dysfunctions reconciled and replaced with His peace.

Copyright Barb Harwood

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak…” James 1:19a

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist Him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:6-11

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” John 14:27a