Planted in Peace
“...as shoes for your feet, the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”
I was on my way home from church and needed to pick up groceries for lunch. It was that frigid, snowy weather that swept through our region a couple weeks ago, and I was wearing my coziest sweater, jeans, and long, puffy coat with a hood trimmed in fluff. I felt quite protected from the elements, dashing from the car, through the slush, and into the store.
As I hurried down the aisle, I forgot that I had worn my high-heeled boots that were now coated in snow. All the layers that shielded me from the freezing temperatures couldn’t prevent my fall. I landed in a pose that I’d like to imagine could have been the first move of a breakdancing routine (I’d probably call it The Puffer Jacket Drop), and I’m sure whoever was watching the security camera that morning enjoyed the replay.
No matter how guarded they are, knights in shining high heels won’t be ready for the onslaught of the day. Shoes matter.
We’ve picked up two pieces of armor so far, wrapping ourselves in the belt of truth and aligning our actions with our new righteous identity in Christ. We’ll also need secure footing to stand against the elements, which brings us to this third piece of armor: shoes of readiness given by the gospel of peace.
Each morning, we confront new battles or old ones, and we wonder how we’ll ever be ready to face what pulls the rug out from under us. We’ll only be prepared to step into those unsettling scenarios if we’ve planted our feet firmly in the gospel. The gospel isn’t just elementary Sunday school truth; on the contrary, the gospel is our foundation for active, daily peace.
Peace with God is the gospel’s message:
When our lives began, we were cut off from God and alienated from His life. Our broken, lifeless existence couldn’t be made whole by anyone or anything, except Jesus, who is Himself our peace. His death, burial, and resurrection offers us a new life of living in harmony with our Creator, restored and forgiven because of peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Self-reflection:
Do I lack peace because I expect circumstances, people, my job, reputation, achievements, etc. to be my source of wholeness?
Is sin preventing God’s peace from filling my life?
Peace in chaos is the gospel’s power:
It takes a power beyond our own to have peace when our circumstances emphasize how powerless we are. Contrary to popular opinion, we are not enough, and that’s the very reason that the Father sent the promised Holy Spirit when Jesus returned to heaven. He lives in our bodies once we trust Christ, giving us access to divine power. He enlightens the eyes of our hearts to recognize hope when God is invisible. When the battle is crushing or threatening, it’s only His presence that is powerful enough to sustain us with the same immeasurable greatness of His power that raised Christ from the dead.
Self-reflection:
Do I gauge my battles according to my own strength or by the power of the Spirit in me?
How can I be so full of the gospel that when life provokes me, peace controls me?
Peace for others is the gospel’s mission:
Jesus came and preached peace to those who were far off and peace to those who were near. When we lace up our boots in preparation to follow Jesus into our next step, the banner we carry across enemy lines declares, “peace!”. We receive His peace and become ambassadors who extend peace like He did, remembering that the recipients of our message are not the opposition. Crusaders and jihadists declare “war!”, bringing brutality against flesh and blood, treading down their victims, and leaving tragedy in their tracks. This is not the gospel’s footprint, because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.
Embracing and proclaiming peace with God disrupts the cosmic forces of evil; when we spread peace, our twisted enemy hears, “war!”, so we shouldn’t be surprised by his retaliation. But we ready ourselves, allied with the King who reigns far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.
Self-reflection:
Am I living out the gospel’s mission?
Italicized phrases from: Ephesians 1:13-21; 2:12-17; 6:12,15; Romans 5:1-5
