Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. (Jude 1:2)
In Greek, the word peace is eirene and can mean the stopping of war, the end of a conflict, the cessation of strife, and the dawn of a season of rebuilding and restoration, but it’s even more! Eirene is a state of tranquility where chaos no longer controls you. It’s a time of calm assurance that replaces disorder and unrest.
Jesus died to give us peace with God and the peace of God. Think about this peace as the calm in the eye of a storm. When life's challenges rage around us, God’s peace remains unshaken. In fact, the Hebrew concept of shalom (translated as peace) means completeness, wholeness, and tranquility of the soul that is impervious to external turmoil and pressure.
So, when Jude wished us mercy and peace, he did more than simply express good wishes. He reminded us that this peace, rooted in God's mercy, can anchor us through life's toughest challenges. It's a peace that holds firm even when everything around us seems to crumble.
Watch any news station and you can observe chaos and uncertainty that are daily on the minds of people in the world. But amid these challenges and questions, Jude's message remains true.
God’s peace doesn't deny the existence of troubles; instead, it enables us to go through them with power and purpose. His peace is birthed from His mercy. He gives us mercy because of His great love. God’s desire is for these three: peace, mercy, and love to continually be multiplied in the believer's life.
Practical Application
God loves you, but don’t expect God to multiply peace in your life if you fill your mind with information about situations that cause anxiety. Monitor what you let in your eye gate and ear gate, and if stress shows up, declare His peace over your heart and your mind.