"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I."
John 14:27-28
The peace that the Lord offers is definitely different than what the world offers. We're often attuned to the world where if comfort isn't immediate and tangible, it isn't worthwhile... the kind of short-term thinking that can get us into a world of spiritual trouble. God offers us peace that is more powerful and long-lasting, but it requires a change in perspective, like the understanding sought here. In death, Christ would return to our Father, which is a reason to rejoice. For the disciples at the time, and also for us, it seems difficult to rejoice when the focus is on now and not on eternity. This isn't to say that God doesn't have compassion for our sorrow. He wept for Lazarus and his family even though he knew that Lazarus would rise again. He gets it, but he also asks us to learn to get his perspective as well, and allow him to help us see further, so that we can focus on eternal consequences rather than earthly ones. Today, let's work on accepting a better kind of peace.
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