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For over 25 years Proverbs 31 Ministries' mission has been to intersect God's Word in the real, hard places we all struggle with. That's why we started this podcast. Every episode will feature a variety of teachings from president Lysa TerKeurst, staff members or friends of the ministry who can teach you something valuable from their vantage point. We hope that regardless of your age, background or stage of life, it's something you look forward to listening to each month!
Kaley Olson: Well, hey, everyone, and thanks for tuning in to the Proverbs 31 Ministries podcast, where we share biblical truth for any girl in any season. I'm your host, Kaley Olson, and I'm joined with my co-host for today's episode, Wendy Blight.
Wendy Blight: Hey, Kaley.
Kaley Olson: Hey, Wendy. And our teacher for today, Ellen Adkins. Hey, Ellen.
Ellen Adkins: Hey.
Kaley Olson: You're in the hot seat today.
Ellen Adkins: I am in the hot seat today. I'm excited.
Kaley Olson: I think, okay, but here's one of the reasons that I like having both of you on the podcast with me for this series is...Not only are you great people to talk to, but you also have a very deep understanding of God's word. Like we've said this about Ellen before. Ellen has her, is it your MDiv?
Ellen Adkins: It's my MDiv.
Kaley Olson: Wow. Wow. For those of you who don't know what MDiv is,
Eleen Adkins: A. Master of Divinity.
Kaley Olson: That's awesome. Yeah. She's divine. Ellen is divine. And if you're just joining us, we're in part two of a four-week series where we're doing a deep dive into the four themes of Advent, which are Hope, joy, peace, and love. Probably didn't get the order right there, but that's what they are. Each week, we're looking at a new theme, seeing how it plays a part in the one big story God is telling, a story that shows us where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed. And Wendy, last week, you shared such an encouraging teaching for us on how Jesus brings hope to our brokenness. And I feel like it was just such the perfect way to get this series started.
And I wanna encourage you guys, if you haven't listened to Wendy's episode, then you need to go back and listen to it if you haven't. And this week, Ellen, you're bringing the word to the herd and you're gonna share about how Jesus's arrival brings peace to our chaos.
I feel like never has there been a better time to hear a message than in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Christmas. So why don't you take it away?
Ellen Adkins: Absolutely. I can't wait. I am so excited to talk to you both today about peace. And I'm going to be really honest. I went on a deep dive on this topic and I feel like we could do an entire season on this topic, but I'm not going to do that for you today. We're going to do kind of a 30,000-foot view of peace. Okay.
You know how there are some words that are in other languages and when you translate them into English, they just lose a lot of their meaning? So peace is actually one of those words. Because when I think about peace, honestly, I think about countries that aren't fighting anymore, like a general absence of conflict. Yeah.
Or maybe I think about an awkward family meal where everybody just kind of like bites their tongue to quote unquote, keep the peace. And the Bible actually invites us into a much more robust understanding of peace. So the word for peace in the Old Testament is shalom. That may be a word that you've heard before. It's a common greeting, but really it means peace, but it's not just the absence of conflict.
Shalom actually means the presence of wholeness. In other words, we could say that peace is wholeness in the place of conflict. So already a much more robust understanding than just the general lack of fighting that you might have.
So this definition stands in really stark contrast to chaos, which is characterized by disorder and confusion. So the Bible oftentimes uses imagery of dark and stormy seas to represent chaos. And I think a lot of us can really relate to that imagery of being tossed and turned every which way. And even as Christians, our lives can feel like they're marked more by chaos than peace.
But the good news is that today we are going to unpack how Jesus' arrival brings peace to our chaos, or rather how he brings wholeness where there was once disorder and confusion. So in order to show this, we really have to go all the way back to the beginning, which Wendy, you did that last week in your teaching, which I love, because Jesus did not just show up out of nowhere. His arrival is a part of a much bigger story that has been unfolding ever since God created the world.
So we're going to go on a little journey through the Bible. So buckle up. This journey might feel like it gets a little bit bleak at times, but bear with me. I think that once we get out of the bleakness, our understanding of Jesus will be all the sweeter because of it. So buckle up.
The reason why I say that it might get bleak is because we actually need to talk about the breakdown of peace. So why do we need Jesus to restore peace to begin with? I mean, after all, in the Garden of Eden, every aspect of life was marked by peace. So we had peace with God. Adam and Eve had fellowship and friendship with God completely free from sin or brokenness.
We had peace with ourselves, so we were created in the image of God, and we lived out that identity rightly and in purity. We had peace with others, so Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. The way they related to each other was marked by wholeness. And we even had peace with creation, something we don't think about all the time, but, you know, Adam was charged with keeping and protecting the garden. The land and labor was fruitful and productive.
And, you know, you don't need to read very far into the book of Genesis to learn that things don't stay that way. After sin enters the world, every area of life is now characterized by chaos, by brokenness. So we have brokenness with God. Rather than worshiping and trusting the one true God, we distrust God and look to other lesser false gods as a source of life.
We have brokenness within ourselves. So we were once lived properly as people in the image of God, but sin makes the human soul curve in on itself, marring the image of God in us. We have brokenness and chaos with other people. So Adam and Eve immediately start pointing fingers and blaming. We feel shame before God and others and even ourself.
And even with creation, we have brokenness there. The work is futile and frustrated. Thorns grow and choke out good crops, drought and famine, storms. I mean, any number of things that is all a part of the chaos that sin brings. And really no part of creation escapes that chaos. It's like a disease that just infects everything in us and around us.
Kaley Olson: Can I just pause and say that I'm glad that you're going deeper into chaos right now? Yeah. Because I think it's really tempting to just say busyness is chaos. Yeah. Or just like my life is chaotic, but truly our souls are in a state of chaos. And I feel like it's this constant feeling sometimes that you can't quite identify what it is, but I think you just gave it a name. Oh, I'm so glad. By saying it's chaos. Yeah. Yeah.
Ellen Adkins: So that's kind of the bleak picture, like Merry Christmas, Happy Advent. Everything is marked by chaos. But the good news is that in Genesis, we see that glimmer of hope that, Mindy, you were talking about last week.
Early in Genesis, we are given a promise that one day Satan will ultimately be vanquished. So as the story of the Bible plays out, we see chaos infiltrate everything. But we also see this thread of promise weave its way through every story, whispering of a coming Savior who will bring peace or wholeness in the place of this chaos.
And so these two threads, the chaos that sin brings and the promise of wholeness and restoration of peace, they weave their way all across the pages of the Bible. The prophet Isaiah is actually really good at highlighting the chaos of our lives and also the promise of the Messiah. So, he paints this picture of total chaos and confusion that sin brings. He uses just some really vivid word pictures. He says, even the ox knows its owner. Oxen are particularly foolish animals. But he said, even the ox knows its owner, but my own people, they do not understand. Later on, he says that God's people call evil good and good evil. They put darkness for light and light for dark.
And he somewhat famously summarizes the human condition by saying, the whole head is injured, the whole heart sick, from the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness in it. And then one other imagery that I just think is great, I almost left it out, but I just think it's funny. Kaley, you will appreciate this as the mom of young boys, but...
At one point, Isaiah is describing the type of confusion and chaos that our sin brings about by saying that God will appoint infants and young boys to rule over Israel. I would not trust my boys doing that. But like, it was a sign of judgment. Like imagine an entire household, let alone society, that is just ruled by toddlers. Yeah, we would be having popsicles on the porch every day for every meal. Truly chaos. Yeah. Truly chaos. Yeah.
And if that sounds like a really bleak picture, that's because it is. But at the same time, right in the middle of that picture of just total chaos, there is a promise of a savior, of a different kind of child to be born. Not one who will rule in chaos as a sign of judgment, but one who will save us from our sin.
And the prophet Isaiah says that his name will be wonderful counselor, mighty God. I love this. I love this. Prince of peace, from whom peace there shall be no end. In Isaiah 60, God says, I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin nor destruction within your borders, but you will call your wall salvation and your gates peace.
And so that's the promise that God's people clung to as they waited for the Messiah, that one day this Prince of Peace would come and bring wholeness where chaos once ruled. And so for generations and generations,
God's people waited for this Prince of Peace to arrive. And then finally, one day in the town of Bethlehem, Jesus is born and the heavens rejoice saying, glory to God in heaven and on earth, peace to whom his favor rests. In other words, this Prince of Peace, this Prince of Shalom has come and with him a kingdom of peace.
He conquered sin and death and those who are in Christ are now both recipients and carriers of his peace. So going back to that same pattern that we saw before, Jesus brings peace with God. Romans 5 says that since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God. We have peace with ourselves. Colossians 3 says, let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
We have peace with other people. Ephesians 2 says that Christ himself is our peace, tearing down the dividing wall of hostility. And we even have peace with creation. So Jesus calms the storm. He shows his power over creation and the created order. Remember how we talked about how chaos is oftentimes visualized in the Bible as a stormy sea. And so thinking about Jesus calming the storm. And so...
Not only does Jesus bring peace, but he also calls us to be carriers of this peace. So Jesus says, peace I bring to you. Jesus says, peace I give you. My peace I leave you. And he even says that those who are peacemakers are blessed and they'll be called children of God.
And so because Jesus gives us peace, we can actually live our lives attuned to the areas where there is chaos, maybe in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our cities. And we can move towards that chaos with the peace of Christ, offering hope and restoration and wholeness, which is the definition of peace. And so,
You might be hearing this and think, okay, this is great, but so much of my life still seems like it's characterized by chaos. Yeah.
And I think that's because that's not where the story ends. Jesus has brought peace and yet so much of our lives are still marked by chaos. And why is that? It's because we are still eagerly waiting for Christ's return. Theologians call this tension the already not yet kingdom of God. So there's this very real sense in which the kingdom of God is here. And yet there's also the reality that it's not here yet.
And so we have peace and yet we are longing for peace. Both the Old and New Testament speak to a future new heavens and new earth where Satan and his kingdom of chaos will ultimately and finally be vanquished. Romans 16 says that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. And speaking to that future day of ultimate defeat. And I love this in Isaiah 65, it says, see,
I will create a new heavens and a new earth. And this is so beautiful. It says, never again will there be an infant who lives only a few days or old men who do not live out his years. I'm like, wow, what a beautiful imagery of this coming kingdom of God. And there is a day that is coming for those of us who hope in Christ where chaos is no longer the reality of our lives.
Revelation 21, the last book of the Bible, ends by saying, then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and first earth had passed away. And it's interesting. It says the sea was no more. I thought that's so interesting because I'm like, what? Are there no beaches in New Jerusalem? But again, remember that imagery of the sea being symbolic of chaos in and evil. And so I think we can have hope today knowing that not only will our storm cease, but the very sea that holds them will be no more. And we can wait for that coming kingdom with confidence and perseverance, knowing that Jesus will complete the work that he began and that kingdom of peace will come and that one day the sea will be no more.
Kaley Olson: I have thoughts. I have lots of thoughts. Oh, I can't wait. You go first. Okay, okay, okay, okay. My first thought is what I learned today is that the opposite of chaos is not control. And I went into this teaching knowing, like we were talking about peace and chaos being juxtaposed. I don't know if that's the correct use of that term, but you know, being against each other.
Ellen Adkins: Maybe control is the solution.
Kaley Olson: Right. But I think that that's like our human tendency. I go into chaos and I'm like, if I...could just bring order to it, everything will be okay. If I could just control it, everything would be okay. And so I have like maybe a thought that I just wanna open up for discussion. I don't really know if it's a question, but maybe you guys can just react to it. Do we get peace when we rightly restrain our chaotic heart and oriented towards God?
The only one who can steer us wisely and correctly. So is chaos less about life feeling scattered and more about my soul being scattered because I think I'm in charge? I mean, I think there's definitely chaos we can't control in the world. Like the world is chaotic. But do we add to the chaos when we try to control? And is that what leads to part of our soul feeling so scattered? chaotic all the time is because I'm trying to fix the chaos. Yeah. Thoughts?
Wendy Blight: Well, I identify with that. I think we've always known we're very much alike. And one of those things is if anything's out of control anywhere, I never put this all together before until just now, but I...always feel like if I can just get things in order, everything will be okay. So Wendy goes into order mode. And sometimes that just means if something's going on, then I will go clean out my kitchen and order everything so I can have some kind of control. But you know what? When I finish that task-
Kaley Olson: The problem is still there. I
Wendy Blight: t's still there. And so I think what you're saying is so true that it is more- down here deep that needs to surrender that control and realize that it's not just controlling our here and now environment. It is, it is seeping down here and, and finding rest in our soul and for our soul.
Kaley Olson: Right. Like if the fruit of the spirit, if one of the aspects of the fruit of the spirit is peace, we can't, We can't be a peacemaker if we're not truly people who are like at peace. And I think about what you said about the ox and how the oxen have known to be silly animals and us being compared to them.
Ellen Adkins: But kind of worse because even they know their owners.
Kaley Olson: Even they know their owners. And here I am so able to be trusted now. Yet you still choose to do things your own way.
Ellen Adkins: I think also some of that control, at least in my life, I can turn to control and find comfort in it. And it's a false comfort. And it's so interesting when I read through Revelation, there are two markers of God's people. Number one, a zeal for the glory of God seems pretty obvious. But the second marker is interesting. It is God's people find comfort in his control, in his rule and reign. It says, hallelujah, the Lord reigns, therefore let our hearts be glad. And so it's a people finding comfort in God's control. And so that's something that I've been working through. Like I think part of being that settled at peace person is finding comfort in God.
Not in my own perceived control, because control is an illusion to begin with, but finding comfort in the fact that in any number of situations, maybe there's chaos all around you and knowing like, wow, God is actually in control here. And so I'm going to find comfort and peace. Hmm.
Wendy Blight: That's good.
Kaley Olson: Yeah. Wendy, do you have thoughts? Do you want to add to it?
Wendy Blight: I do. I'm going to take us on a little tangent. Okay. Let's go there. Because of what you... When you started to read Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Holy One, I remember when I first started learning the names of God. These are names of God and Jesus, names of Jesus. But what I...is something that I love to teach now, I wrote on it, is that we know the names of God, because when we know the names of God, those reflect His character, those reflect His, like you'll know the theological word, but like deep inside.
Ellen Adkins: Attributes.
Wendy Blight: Yeah, His attributes. And knowing he is the Prince of Peace, we live in a world where we're constantly watching, speaking of toddlers, just... who's running the world all across the world. They act like toddlers in every nation. The leaders of nations are acting like toddlers. And I have stopped watching almost all the news because it feels chaotic and then it brings chaotic into my heart and my home and I don't like it. And I find myself oftentimes saying the names of God. And so I just wanna encourage you when you're in scripture,
This name, this Prince of Peace is just one of so many names that when we need, call upon that name of God. Prince of Peace, please bring down your peace into my home, into my heart, into my workplace. Because His presence is with us, that peace is in us. So what we're really saying is, Lord, come in and dwell me in such a way that I can walk into the office today and I can be the peace in my office and not let all of that surround me.
Kaley Olson: Yeah. That's so good. Yeah. Well, friends, maybe today's episode on peace is less about having a peaceful home at Christmas and playing Christmas music and having candles lit and maybe some cinnamon candle, you know, smell going and eating cozy, warm soup. Those things are good. And those things do bring you peace.
But I think today is really a reminder for your soul in the season that Jesus is the only one who can provide the peace you so desperately need. And so I'm going to close with this thing that me and my little boy do at the very end of the day, because he won't go to sleep because his little body is so busy. And I need this reminder, okay? But we were talking about the wind and the waves and the storm. And I'll say, Husey, what did Jesus say to those wind and the storm?
And the waves, I'm not saying this right, to the wind and the waves. And we together go, shhhhhhh, peace, be still. And then I'll kind of have him say it. And then sometimes, and I'm sounding like a saint here, really not, you know, because leading up to bedtime is a battle. Anybody who has a three-year-old understands that. When we do that, I have to tell myself, Kaley, this is for you too. And I don't get it right. But every now and then, it will also be a reminder for me, like, peace be still. And how often like, maybe I need to say that, not just at bedtime. And maybe in your car, you need to say that. Or maybe before you walk into the door, I know I do this too. I'll pull up to the house and I won't get out of the car. And my husband's like, what are you doing? And I'm like, having a moment. But maybe I need to say that too. And so wherever you are today,
Jesus, if he calmed the wind and he calmed the waves, then he can calm your soul too. So as we close and end our time together, I wanted to share another story about how God is at work through Proverbs 31 ministry. So Wendy, will you read a story from Luanna?
Wendy Blight: I will.
My daughter shared Proverbs 31 with me years ago, and I've been reading this devotion every morning, rarely missing one. I love the lessons and the stories. They touch me in so many ways. Your writers have inspired me and love to wake up and read these powerful lessons and true stories.
What a wonderful ministry. God bless you all.
Kaley Olson: I love that. Friends, these kinds of stories are only possible because of those of you who so faithfully partner with Proverbs 31 Ministries. Your generosity allows women around the world to access free biblically sound resources just like this podcast and so much more. So from us to you, a huge thank you. And we'll see you next week for the third installment of our Advent series where Wendy...is gonna be back. And Wendy, what are you teaching on next week?
Wendy Blight: Joy.
Kaley Olson: Joy, so excited. At Proverbs 31 Ministries, we believe when you know the truth and live the truth, it changes everything.