Do I Really Want Peace?

The Biblical word for peace describes God’s process of restoring the world, the way that He desires it to be…whole, complete, reconciled, and in good condition. We desperately need this peace. Our world is not in good condition. We are divided, at war, and hostile with one another. The divide is political, economic, racial, and generational. Make no mistake about it, God desires better. We can do better.

This peace can come through….

Words: We are called to words that lead to peace. That is not to say that we avoid tough conversations, on the contrary, often the words that lead to peace are the toughest to hear.  The Bible does give us some guidance on our words. They are spoken after we have engaged in self refection, repentance, prayer, and listening. The words we speak are to be patient, kind, and full of grace.

Action: Peace requires loving action. Jesus best demonstrates this truth in the gospel. He acted on our behalf to love, serve, and make the ultimate difference. He brought peace between man and God.

In the New Testament James says, faith without works is dead.  These actions should always be focused on making the world whole, complete, reconciled, and in good condition.  These actions should stand against injustice and stand for God’s plan and purpose in the world.

The work of the Holy Spirit: The fruit of the Spirit is peace. The Spirit is at work in our world, through the church, to bring about wholeness. He is convicting us of sin, motivating us to righteousness, empowering us to bring change, and helping us to love our neighbor.

Do I really want peace? Engage in this test with me:

Are my words leading to peace? Instead of leading to peace, perhaps, they are they trying to secure victory for a political party? Trying to win an argument? Attempting to keep things the way they have always been? We should consider how our words might lead to peace. May I offer two suggestions in our current national dialogue:

“I don’t know.” These words are empowering. They acknowledge that I do not know or understand a person’s pain and sorrow. They build a bridge to dialogue.

“I am sorry.” We all struggle with empathy. To feel sorrow when I hear a person’s story is thoroughly Biblical and to express that sorrow brings healing and peace.

Are my actions leading to peace? Am I acting in a way that brings wholeness to this broken world? Is my indifference leading to passivity? Is my anger leading to destruction? Is my ignorance leading to unintentional pain?

How is the Spirit leading me to be a peacemaker? I am called to be a peacemaker not a peacekeeper. A peacekeeper runs away from conflict. A peacemaker runs to it and loves, relates, and serves.

God is at work to bring peace to the world. You and I are invited into this work. May we humbly accept the call and think strategically and intentionally about our role as peacemakers.