No. 503 “R.I.P. — Must Everything End Before We Can Have Peace?” October 11, 2026

No. 503 “R.I.P. — Must Everything End Before We Can Have Peace?” October 11, 2026 There are three letters we often see on gravestones and in memorial notices: R.I.P. Rest in Peace. But a question sometimes comes to mind. Is peace something we can only have when life is over? Is it impossible to be at peace while we’re still alive? Our days are filled with worry. We worry about our health and our children’s future, and we get hurt in our relationships. When one problem is solved, another shows up. So we find ourselves saying, “If I could just get this settled, I’d finally be able to relax….” But if we put peace off until every problem is solved, we may spend our whole lives waiting for it. Before going to the cross, Jesus told His disciples: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). These are remarkable words. Jesus never promised that there would be no trouble. He said plainly that there would be. But in the same breath, He promised peace. In the world, there is trouble. In Jesus, there is peace. This peace is not a mental technique for ignoring reality. It is a gift from Jesus, who took our sins upon Himself at the cross, defeated death, and rose again. We don’t have to conquer every problem before we can have peace. We can have peace because we trust the One who has already overcome the world. For those who believe in Jesus, eternal life doesn’t begin only after death. Jesus said that whoever hears His word and believes already has eternal life (John 5:24). That life begins today, carries us through death, and reaches its fulfillment in the resurrection and the coming of God’s kingdom. That doesn’t mean there are no more tears or pain. We still worry, and sometimes we waver. But even then, we have somewhere to return to. We return to Christ. Here is one thing to try. Think of a single worry that weighs heavily on you, and slowly meditate on John 16:33: “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” Then pray: “Lord, this problem is still here, but I trust You, who are greater than this problem. Let me rest in Your peace today.” Let’s learn to remember R.I.P. a little differently: Rest in His Peace. Peace is not only for those who have died. There is peace in Jesus. In Jesus, who conquered death, we can begin to live in peace today.