Joy and peace. Peace and joy. The two are such close friends that we seldom find them alone. They show up together in greetings, in salutations, and in prayers. They are nearly inseparable during the Christmas season. And no wonder. Are any gifts more desirable than joy and peace? They are two of the most needed and valued states of being. They represent the end of longing and the satisfaction of desire.

Few things bring greater joy than a peaceful resolution to a conflict. If you estranged from a loved one, will any gift from that person, no matter how expensive, bring as much joy as reconciliation? Surely not. If you have a wayward son or daughter, nothing is more welcome than peace restored.

Joy and peace are companions. We can’t entertain them separately.

The lack of joy and peace indicate dissatisfaction. And all dissatisfaction ultimately goes back to God; it’s an expression of our disappointment with Him. For the Christian, joy and peace come from reconciliation with God first and then with others. According to Oswald Chambers, joy comes when we are fulfilling the purpose for which God created us, and doing so requires that we be reconciled to Christ in such a way that makes us:

one in identity with the faith of Jesus, one in identity with the love of Jesus, one in identity with the Spirit of Jesus until we are so one in Him until the high-priestly prayer not only begins to be answered, but is clearly manifest in its answering-“that they may be one, even as We are one.”

Being one with Christ not only brings us into peace with God but gives us the actual peace of Christ. This peace is unshakeable. No trouble or conflict or crisis can take it from us. And that is pure joy.

Joy and peace throw their arms around us in celebration when we become one with Christ and then become reconciled to one another.

May the God of all peace grant us the joy of full participation in His plan of reconciling all things to Himself and restoring peace to planet earth.

In the Name of Jesus,
Soli Deo Gloria