Peace. What does word mean to you?
Maybe you can never find it. Maybe you are fighting for it. Maybe you live in it. Peace, whatever that can look like in our lives is a desirable thing to have. Peace is really, in some way or some form what we are all striving for in our lives.
Now, how this manifests is not always the same in our lives. Peace, how we view it, where we want to see it, depends on what we value most in this life. Some may want peace in their finances; but if you have never experienced anything but peace in this area you might not even think about this. Some might want peace at their job; but if you are the boss and all is going right, you might feel at peace already. Some might want peace in their families or even peace away from their families; but, if you have always had it easy in your family, or never experienced family, you might find the peace comes from something else. So, as I said, peace is something we all want on some level and strive to achieve; but how it looks can be so different from one person to another and that's okay! This week on our Instagram, I have been talking all about Biblical peace and what that looks like through God's lens. Today I want to shortly go over that here.
We, as humans, really depend on peace coming from tangible things: what we have, who we know, and what we do. We think we can create it, and certainly for a limited amount of time we can improve our situations and create a sense of peace through those things. We have the ability to make and do what it takes to make us happy. But, again, that peace, is only temporary. Why is that? Why can't I and the people and things around me create lasting peace?
The world is hard, things can change in a second and they often do for better or for worse. That's why when we place our hope or our hope for peace in something that is temporary, our peace will be temporary as well; if we achieve it at all So how then, can we even place our hope in peace at all? If it won't last what's the point?
Verses from this Week:
"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe." – Psalm 4:8 (NLT)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..." – Galatians 5:22 (NIV)
"And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." – Ephesians 6:15 (NIV)
"Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." – Philippians 4:7 (NLT)
This week, as I said, I have been sharing Bible verses on peace and the common theme of each of those verses that I shared was peace 1) comes from God and 20 needs to be intentional and our intentions must be renewed each day. God's peace, which is lasting is something that we have inside of us when we are reconciled to God through Christ. We already have all the peace we need for an eternity. BUT, it also says we must choose to WALK in peace each day. This means we have a role in our lasting peace. We have to be intentional about it. It's out actions that define our peace rather than our circumstances. When we are intentional about our peace, God says He does the rest and His peace isn't depended on what we have, who we know, and what we do... because all those things can change in an instant. Our peace is dependent on who HE is.
