I don’t think it’s a crazy assumption to say we all want peace.
Peace in our relationships, peace in our homes, peace in our work, peace in our hearts, the list goes on. We want cohesion and harmony in our bustling lives. But we often sit on our hands, waiting for someone to jump in and calm the waves. Is there a better way?
In my ongoing search for peace, I think of a conversation between Joram and Jehu in the book of 2 Kings:
And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He answered, “What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?” (2 Kings 9:22)
The question throughout this whole chapter is “Is it peace?”…and it’s an interesting one. It seems short-sighted. It seems to put the potential for peace in someone else’s hands. The better question, to me, is, “Am I living in peace?”
How Do I Get Peace?
If we want peace between us and others, we must first be extenders of peace. We have to offer peace. We have to find peace within ourselves. If we want the security, the protection, the joy, the friendship, the love, and all the fruit of peace, we have to offer it generously first.
Peace looks like living with love. Serving and blessing others before taking the blessing for ourselves. It means forgiving even when everyone else says you deserve to hold that grudge. It means not always choosing to win the argument. It means lifting others around you. It means walking lightly and extending that freedom to those around you.
“Is it peace?” seems to be the wrong question, and one that is too late. If those people had woken up daily and asked themselves, “Will I live and give peace today?” then maybe it would’ve been peace even in these tense moments.
The Apostle Paul, when referencing his countless bouts with worldly struggles, offers us some wisdom on finding peace and contentment in any season of life:
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)
True peace only flows from being loved by our Father and walking in the security of his steadfast love and my eternal relationship with him. It starts with him and flows from Him. And His love empowers and enables us to be extenders of peace so that it actually can be peace when we need it to be.
If I want peace in my home, it starts with me offering it. If I want peace in my extended family, it must flow from me. If I want peace in my work with coworkers and bosses, I have to ask myself if I’m a peace carrier. If I want peace in my heart, I need to pursue it with the hope that Jesus offers.
It’s not too late to be a peacemaker wherever there’s chaos. We can find peace no matter where we are, and it can start right now.
Disclaimer: This article is 100% human-generated.
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