Pursue Peace

The older I get, the more I value and appreciate peace. If we have peace, we can deal with almost anything. However, without peace, it’s almost impossible to enjoy life at all.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:9 that people who make and maintain peace will be called the sons of God. We are all children of God, but those who are sons and daughters are mature. They have grown spiritually to the degree that they behave like God, their Father. In short, being a peacemaker requires spiritual maturity. People who are spiritually mature could be defined as those who no longer act based on how they feel, what they think, or what they want, but they are obedient to God’s Word in every possible way.

Anyone can be angry. All they need to do is follow their feelings, and as soon as they are offended or don’t get their way, their anger flares up. Peace requires maturity. Are you willing to be the first one to say, “I’m sorry”? Are you willing to give up your “right” to be right? Are you willing not to have the last word in a disagreement? Will you be the one to step up and say “Let’s work this out and have peace between us”? These are important questions to ask on the path to spiritual maturity. And the more mature we become, the more we can truly enjoy our lives.

When I think back over the 55 years Dave and I have been married, I sadly remember arguing about lot of petty things. In the early years of our marriage, we did not know the value and power of peace as we know it now. Dave and I learned early in our ministry that if we wanted God’s power, we had to keep strife out of the ministry and out of our home, and we work diligently to do so. If you intend to be a peacemaker, you will need to seek peace eagerly and make it a top priority in your life.

The apostle Paul urges us in 2 Timothy 2:23: Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels This is great advice. In the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, this verse reads: But refuse (shut your mind against, have nothing to do with) trifling (ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels. It cannot be said any plainer than this!

Strife is one of Satan’s greatest weapons to destroy people’s lives and relationships. Especially during times of trial, he wants us to gossip, blame and argue with one another. But we have a choice; we don’t have to give in to strife. We can choose peace!

Before Jesus went to heaven after His time on earth, He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you....” (John 14:27). Then He went on, in the same verse, to say, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This sentence in the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition says: “Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed.”

I love this scripture! God is saying that He’s giving us His peace; however, we also have a choice to make. It’s up to us to make a decision to not be troubled, afraid, agitated and disturbed—it won’t happen automatically.

I think it’s important to understand that we’ll never have peace if we’re waiting for our circumstances to change. I came to realize the world is not going to change, our enemy (Satan) is not going to change, and all of the people who bother me probably aren’t going to change. So I have decided to change.

I encourage you to do the same. Make a decision today to be a peacemaker. Decide that you’re going to “keep your peace” regardless of what is happening in your life. Set apart some time on a regular basis to get alone with God and receive His peace. Talk to Him, worship Him, and even just sit quietly in His presence, allowing Him to strengthen you from the inside out (Isaiah 40:31).

Pursuing peace will take a decision and some effort, but it is most definitely worth it because God blesses the peacemakers.

Adapted from the book The Blessed in the Mess by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2023 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.