But how can we trust that this is the case in the reality we live in?
Many things in today's culture attempt to offer us meaning, belonging, safety and love. Just consider the dominant themes of advertising promising that everything will be well if we just buy this one more product. Alcohol, excessive parties and online role playing games are a few more examples with which many people today try to find meaning, love and security. But no matter how hard we try to find peace in worldly things, it just leaves us empty again and hungry for even more of the same.
The reason why worldly things in themselves do not satisfy, is that we need to go to the source of all life first. This leads to the question of God's existence and how he can be known today.
The Good News that followers of Jesus Christ have proclaimed for the last 2000 years is that God can indeed be known. Jesus' death and resurrection established a way for everyone who believes to be free from guilt, condemnation, stress and strive and experience the deep inner peace, which comes from realising that our lives are indeed in God's hands.
Communication with God helps us to rid our lives of all worries and do as much as we can while letting go of the outcome of a particular situation in our lives:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7, TNIV)Following Jesus does not mean that everything in our lives always turns out the way we want it. Nevertheless it is the most satisfying way of living as it is the way, which suits our design:
"Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Heb 12:10-11, TNIV)God's peace also includes freedom from other people's opinions as God is the only legimitate ultimate judge of our lives but chose out of love to forgive us:
"I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." (1 Cor 4:3-4, TNIV)However, this wonderful peace, that comes from a personal relationship with God through Jesus, is not an excuse to be lazy and complacent about improving the world that we live in. True Christianity means living with the wonderful peace that ultimately all things will be made right by God and doing as much as we can to improve this world until Jesus returns.
