Peace

What does peace look like for you? What does it feel like? Will you know it when it shows up, knocks on your door, or just crawls up in your soul?

Definition

Peace. Now that’s a huge word. Used together, these five letters can mean so much. They can occupy considerable space in our lives just by the sheer elusiveness of the word. Exactly what is peace? What is this thing that we would love to have wrapped around us as securely as a butterfly’s cocoon? When I think of peace as it relates to scripture, I am drawn to Philippians 4, which speaks of the peace of God that will guide our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The part of this scripture that always “gets” me is “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding…” This encompasses the width and breadth of peace in all its many facets. Initially, I questioned whether the concept of peace is beyond our human capacity to define. But I was invited to reconsider this position and came to appreciate a fairly different perspective. I would describe peace as a state of calmness in which anxiety has been replaced with a quietness, where we exist in a harmonious space, a state of being that nurtures centeredness despite any form of oppression. In my humble opinion, peace reveals that we have made the ultimate connection with God in which nothing can disrupt the inner serenity that is revealed through our response and external posture. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit, an integral grace offered to us. The fruit of peace is available to those who are led by the Holy Spirit – our personal advocate sent to dwell within us, to communicate for and through us. Like any other fruit that must be consumed to benefit from its nutritional value, unless we embrace peace, we will not realize its significance.

So, what transcends all understanding? I believe this speaks to the fact that we are graced with peace exactly when, how and where we need it, the way peace becomes available to us even when we have done nothing to deserve it. Peace inexplicably can move us from worry to dancing. It affirms our connection to God who settles our hearts and calms our minds.

Clearly, there are many other definitions and experiences of peace. I invite you to consider your experiences of when you are at peace that surpasses your own understanding. Let us take into our lives this fruit, this phenomenal gift, to experience the profound blessings it offers.

Intro

Let me make an assumption here that peace is something that we all want. Sometimes we can be our own saboteur when it comes to the things that we want most, including if not especially, peace. If we truly believe in the word of God spoken to us in John 14, we know that peace is a gift. Like any other gift, it must be accepted in order to be useful.

Have you ever been given a gift and rejected it? Even re-gifted it? We respond to God given gifts in similar fashion. Unfortunately, the consequences can be much more dire than those resulting from not accepting tangible, worldly gifts. By not receiving God’s peace, we are rejecting a blessing.

What is blocking us from receiving this awesome blessing? Why is it that we very often are not able to conceptualize the magnitude of this gift? We can begin to unravel the thread around these questions by exploring why we struggle to accept gifts and even why we might not choose peace.

This brings to mind how I have been guilty of not fully appreciating my God given gifts. Raised in an environment in which humility of spirit was essential, I did not presume that I was capable of anything that anyone else could not do. This prevented me from truly being grateful for my gifts and not fully developing some of those gifts. Perhaps this is your life’s story. One that does not necessarily reject gifts outright, but a narrative that almost arbitrarily minimizes the importance of the distinct characteristics that define who you were meant to be. Having well developed, adverse thought patterns such as these can obscure our vision when it comes to other gifts as well. Yep, I’m talking about the gift of peace that surpasses all understanding. I would suggest that we consider how we could become more vigilant to recognize, appreciate and receive the gifts given to us by God.

Significance Peace is something that comes up once or twice in the bible. (See Scripture References) The challenge is breaking the scriptures down to make them significant for us in our everyday lives. We might have to get out of our own way to do this work. If our natural inclination is to undermine a positive, productive path as we navigate this life, I would suggest that it is time to shift our thinking. This forces us to be intentional in making different choices, purposefully thinking before we act, taking the consequences of our actions into account before moving forward based on learned, knee jerk reactions. Like all things new and different, we might have to ease into this new normal. We might need to gradually adjust to the type of lifestyle that God intended us to have. A lifestyle virtually free of strife, anger, envy, depression, and all kinds of negativity. Here’s another question for you – how bad do you want it? How much does it mean to you to live a life of peace? Even if this is a foreign concept for you, I invite you to imagine how different life would be if you could make the shift from a cycle of constant anxiety to peacefully exhale right after you inhale each and every time. Personal Sometimes peace can only be found through experiencing some of the most unsettling circumstances. Life can seem like a big bowl of whatever it is you enjoy, and seemingly out of nowhere you are faced with all kinds of life challenges, turmoil, loss, sorrow, disappointments. When we become complacent in our Christian walk and neglect to do the work that it takes to stay in the presence of the spirit – reading the word, prayer, communing with God – life has a way, through the Holy Spirit, of shaking things up to bring up back down to earth. Such is the case with peace. If we move too far away from staying connected with the spirit by focusing on worldly concerns, we can expect that our peace will be disrupted. Having our inner calm replaced by turmoil can be debilitating. Personally, I have been fighting and other times aligning myself with the spirit of perpetual antagonism concerning certain kinds of people, especially women. Over time, I had to admit to myself that there would be no resolution to this issue, there would be no peace within myself or with others until I acknowledged the part that I was playing in keeping this fire raging. The message that dropped in my spirit reminded me that the spirit of conflict, division, discourse and negative energy does not come from God. Focusing on these things and not on Him and His word were not only tearing me and those participating in this dance down emotionally and spiritually, these activities were in direct conflict with the kind of life that God envisioned for His children. Peace requires a positive disposition. We cannot simultaneously have peace, pursue peace and develop a peaceful spirit while engaging in self-defeating negative thinking and attitudes. I read somewhere that sometimes peace is as simple as not having the last word. With this realization, I began the work, and it is work, to remove myself from the fight and grab ahold of receiving that which would place me on the road to enduring, everlasting peace. When you actively, intentionally invite peace to reside inside of you, you will find rest for your spirit.

We might consider being honest with ourselves about why we are resistant to genuinely pursuing the peace that we say we want. There must be some benefit to not embracing peace, or it would be a simple matter of just accepting what has already been given to us and moving on with a much more stable lifestyle. Thanks to undeniable factors such as human nature and free will, we do not always choose what is in our own best interests. We tend to veer toward those things that give us a sense of instant gratification, power and a temporary thrill. Things that are easy but generally have no lasting impact. Like most things that are worth the effort, it is not always easy transitioning to and maintaining a peaceful lifestyle. Know that the effort is worth it. This shift will be most effective when approached consistently and intentionally over a period of time. What could be more gratifying than surrendering our will and accepting God’s blessing of a peaceful state? Keeping in mind that He holds the best plan for our lives in His hands and knows how each of our stories unfolds, what could compel us to not be receptive of His gifts? We must trust and believe that if God gives us something, it truly is for our benefit. On this guarantee, we can release ourselves from the cycle of conflict and chaos and replace it with a calm spirit infused with quiet thoughts, positive energy and an abundance of peacefulness.

Communal How does our personal sense or search for peace have an effect on peace in our communities? Are there ways in which we can “share the wealth” of our experiences and extend this same peace outside our more immediate existence? I would suggest that there certainly are! With so much unrest and uncertainty in our midst, there are countless ways in which we can make meaningful contributions in the pursuit of peace. If you are looking for peace in the community, consider being that peace that you want to see. That still voice that speaks to you and brings peace to your restlessness can be shared with your community. The same quiet, calmness that can live inside your soul can be directed to communities as we show up as protagonists of peaceable behavior. Approach your quest for peace with an infectious, contagious energy. Like the fires of antagonism and conflict can rage and burn with destruction, peaceful living can catch on like wildfire and bring calm and focus to an entire community. Many organizations would benefit greatly from your ability to courageously light the way on the path to peace. Perhaps you could start with getting involved in an organization that speaks to your concerns and is doing something about making real progress in that direction. Make this your time to get involved. We can talk about peace or we can be about peace. It’s your choice. Relevance What about you? There must be at least one scripture out of the ones referenced that speaks to your heart or stirs up your soul to give you inspiration. The scriptures on peace tell us whose we are, what is expected of us and reminds us of His promises. Only He can give, maintain and restore His peace in our spirits. They tell us that we are special in the sight of God because we are His creations. We are reassured that peace is ours for the receiving just because we are His. These scriptures reaffirm that His desire is that we constantly cultivate our relationship with Him. Turn to Him and embrace the gift of peace that He gives freely to everyone in the family of God. Starting Sometimes, all we need is a place to start. Let’s start right where we are. Let’s start right now. Let’s create a new, greatly enhanced reality based on a five-letter word that compels us to receive the gift that is ours to claim. Let’s faithfully find the fortitude to begin today to invite an authentic, lasting peace into our lives. The significant question is, do you desire it? While God has made it available to you, even though you have already been gifted peace, you will not embrace it and make it your own if you do not desire it. I trust we can make the decision today to desire peace.

Prayer

Most merciful and loving Father, we humbly offer our thanks for your continued mercy, grace and patience. We are eternally grateful for your protection and correction, even when our actions do not reflect the same. We ask that you guide us through this human experience called life as we worship you, seek your will and build a stronger relationship with you. Lord, grant us the strength to receive and embrace the gift of peace that you offer every child of God. Help us to surrender our will and make peace, see peace and go after peace with everything we have. Please help us to remember that with the Holy Spirit, we can encounter the comfort of your peace that surpasses all understanding in our lives today and always. Amen.