Why God's Peace Doesn't Come With Conditions (Even When Mine Does)

I read John 14:27 again this morning. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. And it hit me the way it always hits me when I actually slow down and let it.

God wants to give us His peace. He is happy to give it. And in exchange, all He asks for is our worries, our anxiety, everything that has us overwhelmed. That is the whole trade. He takes the heavy thing off our hands and hands us peace instead.

Every time I sit with that verse, it makes me happy, because think about how selfless that actually is. I have looked for that kind of giving everywhere, even from the people who love me most, and I have never found it anywhere else.

My son Jordan is the clearest example I have. I try to surround him with peace every single day. That is genuinely my goal as his mother. But I cannot give him God's peace, because my peace comes with limitations His does not have. I get cranky sometimes. I get impatient. And if I am honest about my own humanity, there are moments I want something in return. Sweep the floor. Pick up after yourself. Give me a hug. Those are not bad things to want from your kid, but they are still wants. God does not operate that way.

That is the difference between human love and His love, even at its best. Human love, even good love, even love that shows up every day, still has an edge to it somewhere. Mine does. God's does not have an edge. There is no place where it runs out.

I believe God does want a relationship with us. I think that is real and I think it matters to Him. But here is the part that gets me every time. Even when you have not cultivated that relationship, He gives you the peace anyway. He gives you the grace anyway. The mercy. The forgiveness. All of it, unconditional, no strings attached, no waiting period, no proving yourself first.

This is exactly what Come As You Are means to me. You do not have to clean yourself up first. You do not have to have the relationship figured out before He extends the peace. He extends it while you are still figuring it out, still ignoring Him some days, still making a mess of things. That is not permission to stay distant from Him forever. It is proof the door was never locked in the first place.

I think about how many years I spent walking around not acknowledging Him at all, and He was still giving me all of it the entire time. I was not earning any of it. I was not even asking for most of it. He gave it because that is who He is, not because of anything I did to deserve it.

There is nobody else like that. Not one person on this earth loves you with zero conditions attached, not even the people who would say they do. Somebody always wants something back eventually, even if it is small, even if it is just your attention or your time or your gratitude expressed the right way. God does not run His love like that.

So if you are reading this and you are carrying something today, worry, fear, whatever has your chest tight, that is literally what He asked for. Not your performance. Not your perfect track record with Him. Just the weight you are already carrying. Hand it over and take the peace He is already trying to give you.

He is Him. Mic drop.

Peace, Love and Joy always.
Infinite Faith and Favor | kharisco.com