Peace be with You...

When I am bogged down with “stuff” and the Christian life is not looking like what I had envisioned it, I tend to get a little discouraged. I ask questions like, “Am I doing what God asked of me? Or “Did I do something wrong to have this happen?”
It is in those times that God brings His encouragement and peace, and points me again towards His mission.
In John Chapter 20, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, The Disciples, and then again to Thomas. The chapter starts with Mary at the tomb, searching frantically for the body of her dead savior. Jesus asks her what she is doing and she fails to see that it is Him. The Disciples hear from Mary that Jesus is alive, and they fail to believe her. Thomas hears from the Disciples and refuses to believe unless he has proof.
In each of these Jesus appears and addresses the disbelief of each person. The first thing He says is,
“Peace be with you.”
When we truly encounter Christ, he brings His peace into our situation. He wants us to know that He has everything under His control, and ease our hearts. It is only then that we can hear what He has to say. Jesus said what each person needed to hear. Each situation was specific. Mary needed to hear her Savior call her by name once again. The Disciples needed reassurance and guidance as they followed His directives, and Thomas needed some amount of calculated proof that Jesus was truly alive again.
I received a call for a visit to a woman with terminal cancer. The woman had been given a few weeks to live. I knew that I should go, but was afraid that I would be ineffectual at comforting her or answering her questions about life and death. John wrote and lived for the express purpose of making Jesus known. As I hung up the phone and finished reading chapter 20 in the book of John, the last verse rung out the meaning of Jesus’ encouragement.
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31
In those moments Jesus said to me, “Peace be with you.” He was doing for me what he did for Mary, His Disciples, and yes, even Thomas. All that they did and all that we do must amount to this one last verse.
When uncertain struggles challenge our faith and paralyze us with fear, we must remember that Jesus will sustain us. He calms us by His presence and lets us see things through His eyes. When He does, it shows to our family and friends, glorifying Him. It is then that we realize that the purpose of our lives is,
“That you may believe…”