“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid,” Jesus said in John 14:27 (NRSV)

This is one of those classic verses to hold in your heart whenever you feel peace slipping away.

Combined with this verse, however, are another couple of verses that you may not be that familiar with. They come from Matthew 10:12-14. Jesus is talking to his disciples and giving them instruction as they go out to heal and share the news of the kingdom of heaven.

He says, “As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave the house or town.” Matthew 10:12-14.

I just love this image of shaking off the dust.

What Robs Us of Peace

How often do we let the opinions, words, actions, or unwarranted criticism of others rob us of peace? I can answer for myself – too often!

Instead of shaking them off and letting them fall off like dust, we let them glom onto us turning into muck and mud.

Someone had forwarded me a link to a beautiful article of how they had seen the presence of Jesus show up through an act of kindness. It was a true feel-good article. My feeling good evaporated quickly.

That’s because I made the mistake of reading the comments. One said that he had seen Jesus too; he was wearing a red cape. Others joined in on that one with other sarcastic digs. It was one endless string of retorts.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Let your peace return to you.”

As I sat there stunned, I let the hateful comments rob me of my peace. I’ve learned not to read the comments anymore. I’m certainly not going to get caught up in the banter back and forth where an argument will never be won. While I’m not a person who has to have the last word, I also know that in such sparing, you will never have the last word.

When You Let Go of Peace You Let Go of Your Power

Jesus is telling us to “shake it off” just like the dust from your feet. If you allow criticism and toxic people to steal your peace, you relinquish your power.

Living with joy and flow means living life in peace. It’s important to have peace because, when we are peaceful, we can hear the voice of God guiding us. When we’re distressed and stressed and frantic and frenzied, we can’t listen very well.

When we are at peace, we can respond to people in a thoughtful way.

So, heed the words of Jesus, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” And, “Let your peace return to you.”

In putting your focus on being peaceful, you will experience the peace that the apostle Paul describes, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

When you find yourself focusing on what the world throws at you, shake it off like that dust on the disciples’ feet. That will allow your peace to return to you.

If you struggle with finding this peace, these meditations will calm your mind and spirit and allow you to listen to God. Find more resources to deepen your relationship with God at the Joy and Flow Store.