Trace Pirtle
How You Can Find Inner Peace in World Crisis
Updated: Sep 27, 2022
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." -- John 14:27
If someone asked me, "How do you find inner peace in a world crisis?" My answer is simple: Belief in Jesus Christ. If you are skeptical or a lukewarm Christian, I urge you to keep reading.
It's not an exaggeration, the world is in crisis, and many believe we're beginning the "End Times." News outlets spin world crises to justify their agendas. But when the spin stops, humanity faces a sobering reality; the old world is gone, and the new world order is here. The question is, is the new world order adding to your sense of inner peace or subtracting from it?
Are You Feeling More Conflict Than Peace?
If you feel more conflict than peace, perhaps it's because you are looking for peace in the wrong place(s). The world gives no peace, only conflict. It's been this way since the fall of Adam and Eve. "There is no peace," says the Lord, "for the wicked" Isaiah 48:22. There is only one "Way" to find inner peace. The Way is through Jesus.
Jesus told His disciples that "He" gives us peace. We don't have to go to the mountain top to search for it. It isn't found after years of navel-gazing or soul-searching. Jesus gives His peace freely. We receive peace as a byproduct of believing in Him. So if a sense of inner peace is missing in your life, or you lack confidence in times of crisis, look no further than our Lord, Jesus Christ. God's offer is open to all.
"...Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God." Isaiah 50:10
Jesus Christ Offers Peace to All Who Believe in Him
Consider how Christians can find inner peace in world crises. Believers in Christ know that they live in a fallen world. The troubles we see are terminal; the problems result from sin, and the outcome is death...eternal death. It's no wonder why non-believers are so troubled and fearful. But Jesus tells all who will believe, "...let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:27
Christians find inner peace because we know "The Way" to eternity with God. This is a big difference between non-believers and believers. Non-believers tend to focus on "here and now" issues of life, increasing their perception of both "state" (right now) and "trait" (in general) stress.
As believers, we see our "now" as passing by a world on our road to eternity with God. We aren't worried about the world crises because we know where we are going...we know The Way. When the Apostle Thomas asked Jesus where He was going and how to find the way,
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6
Christians find inner peace because we EXPECT trouble in the world. But unfortunately, many non-believers fail to find inner peace because of a mismatch between what they see in the world and what they expect. For example, suppose the expectation is to eliminate nuclear weapons; in reality, they find belligerent nuclear proliferation. In that case, their inner peace decreases with the probability of destruction.
Believers have an inner peace independent of global tensions...even tensions related to the thermonuclear war. We expect trouble because we are told to expect it in the Bible. Again, Jesus said:
"I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Jesus also gave believers a heads-up that things were going to get worse. So hold on to your hats!
"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings of birth pains." Matthew 24:6-8
Suppose non-believers lose their inner peace and stress about the future. In that case, most of the Book of Revelation will provide enough tribulation anxiety to warrant psychiatric hospitalization. However, wouldn't it be easier to accept Jesus while we can and, in the process, find inner peace knowing that we won't experience God's wrath?
Conclusion
It is impossible to find inner peace in a fallen world without Jesus. Only by believing in Christ can we find inner peace and a sense of calm and courage during crises. Because we are seeing many indications that we are living in the end times, non-believers must find their salvation in Christ. Not only will the quality of your life increase in these uncertain times, but your eternity with God will be assured.