Anything that costs you your peace is too expensive.
Psalm 34:14
At the exact moment that Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the Garden, Jesus’ fate as the sacrifice for our sins was sealed. The Word says that He was fully God, while also being fully man (Hebrews 2:14-18), and He knew that His death on the Cross was necessary for our salvation. Yet, He was able to have peace that transcended human understanding. Jesus’ ministry was about extending peace and love to all mankind. As He made preparations to go to the Cross, He told His disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Even His impending death could not disrupt Jesus from His peace.
Living in a state of instability is spiritually, mentally, and physically unhealthy and the price is a hefty one to pay. As if there isn’t enough in our own personal lives to potentially upend us from our place of peace, we have the larger society surrounding us with all of its problems. If we are not careful, those things can seep into our own lives, causing more frustration and driving us further into a state of instability. Living peaceably and peacefully is vitally important to our spiritual well-being. We are spiritually useless if we cannot manage disruptions and interruptions to our peace. Becoming captive to trouble is easy.
One of my grandmother’s favorite sayings to us is found in Psalm 34:14: “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (emphasis mine.) It’s possible to seek and pursue peace in every area of our life; through the power of Jesus Christ, as evidenced by the Holy Spirit, we can choose to engage with those around us peacefully and avoid strife. More importantly, we should live in peace with ourselves. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies: we can degrade ourselves or be hard on ourselves when we make a mistake. Forgiveness is a concept thought to only be extended to others; however, on the contrary, we need to extend forgiveness to ourselves, too! There are times when my spiral out of peace is due to my own hand against myself. I have to make an effort to pursue peace within my own head and heart. It is true that I am sometimes my own worst enemy.
The pursuit of peace is not always easy, but it is much better than the alternative: strife. Strife is uncomfortable. Strife is divisive. Strife is unpleasant. Strife is troubling. According to Romans 14:19, we should “pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Peace allows for reconciliation and understanding. It communicates mutual respect and love for one another. I would rather be captive to peace than to strife because being captive to peace ensures that my motives and goals are both found in the eternal love of Christ.
Prayer for Release: God, help me to seek peace and to pursue it, both in my life and with those around me. Thank you that I do not have to be a slave to strife, but that I can break free from the mental anguish of being in conflict with myself and others.