I love a bargain... especially when that bargain is something shiny and new with an incredibly discounted price tag!

But alas, many of the bargains I find aren’t shiny and new... they have belonged to someone else in the past. Nonetheless, that fact hasn’t stopped me from enjoying such things immensely. For example, some of my favorite decorator pieces in my house are antique store finds or garage sale gems.  The car I purchased last month came with 11 years use and 101,000 miles.  Even many of my family’s favorite clothing items are things we purchased at Goodwill or Savers!

There’s no doubt about it... I love a bargain.

Often times it’s the nature of our society to place great value on the newness of things, but I’ve come to learn in my life that in many instances the greatest treasures have passed through someone else’s hands before they reached my own.

I was reminded of that yesterday morning as I read this verse in the scripture:

Peace I leave with you... MY PEACE I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let then be afraid. (John 14:27)

As I paused over that passage, my mind ran to these two thoughts:

• Each day brings NEW mercies (Lamentations 3:23) AND

• In Christ we are NEW creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And so, I found it interesting that Jesus said he was leaving us with HIS peace. Used. Pre-owned.

Then, in an instant, I found the whole thing ironically comforting. I remembered that new things often carry a question mark with them. (If you don’t believe me, think about that first generation electronic device or that new model car you purchased!) Prior ownership of an item creates a “proving ground” of sorts. Such is the case with the peace of God.  Jesus took time to demonstrate peace in his life... to test it out for us, so we could know with certainty that it works.

Then, as if that weren’t enough, I realized one more thing. As with any pre-owned item, the value of the item is determined not solely by age or use, but by its source... by the one who held it first. Think of it this way... If I'm a collector of rare books and one day I stumble across a genuine Gutenberg edition of the Bible in a used bookstore, I will naturally take interest in acquiring it.  I look at its condition and consider its price.  I look to see if all the pages are there; I see if it has structural integrity.  Such characteristics might alter my bid for the book, but at the end of the day, I know I still want it.  You see, the bottom line is that even if the quality is lacking, the intrinsic value of something is rooted in its source... (It's an original Gutenberg for goodness sake!!) So, whether it's in perfect condition or woefully tattered, I add it to my collection and display it proudly.  

Having the peace of Jesus displayed in your life is a lot like that.  Its value is borne in its source.  The peace we have received comes as a gift from none other than Jesus Himself, and therefore we should treasure it well.

jph