The text of Scripture before us is Jesus’ promise to His followers before His ordeal on the cross. He offered them His kind of peace which is different from any that the world system could afford. Several world bodies have as their primary objective the pursuit of peace. But their best efforts have not yielded the desired fruit, judging by the number of national, regional, and international conflicts. The world’s type of peace is weak and futile. It is significant also to note that the first thing which Jesus offered after His resurrection was peace. We can therefore affirm that for children of God, peace is a gift. What needs to be done is activating it.

“We can therefore affirm that for children of God, peace is a gift. What needs to be done is activating it…Anxiety among believers is an indication that we don’t fully trust God as we claim.”

Proverbs 3:5 gives an insight into how we can activate peace. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;” (NKJV) How can a child of God enjoy peace within despite the turmoil in the world? Simply put, trusting the Lord and leaning absolutely on Him. In several places the issue of trust is brought to the fore. The fact that the word occurred severally is a pointer to its importance. As a dictionary puts it, trust is the firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or a thing. To trust in the Lord therefore means one relies on the fact that God is full of integrity, He cannot lie or go back on what He promised. It is also to believe that God is all powerful, hence He has the resources to execute whatever He has promised to do. One more thing needed to exercise trust is the belief that God is just. If you truly base your relationship with God on these attributes, you can go to sleep. Anxiety among believers is an indication that we don’t fully trust God as we claim.