Peace

Scripture

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 (NIV)

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Romans 14:19 (NIV)

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. Proverbs 17:1 (NIV)

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)

Peace is a state of being without conflict. The word peace is expressed in several idioms: “peace of mind”, “make peace”, “hold your peace”, or my favorite “peace and quiet” among many other idioms for the word. Let's explore these idioms to see how we can have peace.

We should strive daily to have peace. As mentioned in the idioms above, one place where everyone should strive to have peace is in our mind. How you get to the place of peace is dependent on your proclivities. Some people find peace in watching the waves of the ocean gently rise and fall on the shoreline. Other people may find peace in getting caught up in a good book. Then you have the portion of the population that finds peace in the quiet moments of their day. Lastly, some may find peace simply by disconnecting from all things that seek to disturb our peace such as media (news or social), work, worries of life, etc.

The free gift Jesus leaves us with in his promise of peace - “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 (NIV) To get this peace we follow the words of Isaiah 26:3 to keep our mind steadfast on the Lord.

You might need to make peace with others before you can have peace in your mind. If your peace was lost due to conflict that remains unforgiven then start with resolving the situation. To do this take the advice found in Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) - “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

In Romans 14:20 (NIV) we learn that we should “make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” This is the hard one because it seems the world, and those that live in it, make every effort to disrupt our peace. However, we must overcome the temptation that may disrupt our peace.

Proverbs 17:1 and 1 Timothy 2:1-2 are two verses that provide us with the ways we can have peace and quiet in our lives. Sometimes quiet or alone time free from outside influences can bring us peace. Otherwise, peace and quiet may come through prayer for those that have authority, or that might have the social or political ability to interfere with our peace.

The takeaway is to find what brings you peace and pursue it. The way to find peace is by following God’s commands, praying, and being a peaceful person.

Our Father in Heaven, glory to Your holy name. God, You are the author of peace, and we know that peace is found in the fruit of the spirit, and that Your son is the Prince of Peace. Lord, my prayer is that You will bless me and my family with peace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.