A Different Peace

I have become almost obsessed with the idea that we need peace more than ever!

There is a different peace that we sometimes overlook when we think about peace. As followers of Jesus, we experience that inner peace that God gives us. It is a profound contentment that is not dependent on circumstances or our current experience.

We think about the biblical imperative that we be peacemakers. Almost daily, as I have been reading my Bible, I am reminded of our great task to bring peace into every conflict and relationship. But what is this different peace?

A different peace

Looking at all the biblical passages regarding peace – and there are a lot of them – it is so clear that we are called to live lives of peace in our culture. As I look at social media, I see abundant evidence that many people who call themselves Christians are stoking the fires of conflict and confrontation rather than attempting to bring peace. For centuries Christians have found themselves embroiled in conflict with each other and the outside world, making little attempt to bring peace.

Sometimes in the name of orthodoxy we have been hostile to those who have disagreed with us. We claim biblical authority to back our claims, our doctrines and even our political choices. Yet our insistence on being right has caused us to abandon the call to be peacemakers. And we certainly have often rejected the call to love our enemies!

A different peace is a hybrid peace

What if the inner peace we experience in our relationship with God and the peace we see in an absence of conflict were two dimensions of the same thing?

When we have peace with God, we are experiencing his presence, and it happens when we surrender to his will and make him lord of our lives. Our daily lives are filled with assurance and confidence knowing that God’s power and wisdom guides our every step. Living with that kind of assurance and confidence is an incredibly peaceful experience.

When Paul (and others) wrote their letters that make up so much of the New Testament, it was common for them to bestow grace and peace to their recipients. That peace meant contentment, blessing and tranquility because of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

When we are called to be peacemakers, we are called to bring peace into all our relationships and the conflicts we can find ourselves in. It means we are constantly seeking to find common ground. We listen and strive to understand those with whom we disagree. It doesn’t mean we compromise our submission to Jesus as lord but that we act just as Jesus did.

Jesus brought mercy and grace to sinners, the broken, the socially marginalized, the poor and the rejected.

A different peace is a hybrid peace

What if, as peacemakers, we actually brought the peace of God – that inner peace from his presence – into every relationship and conflict? What if we recognized that being a peacemaker meant applying that inner peace to every situation and the application of that peace was closer to the answer that was needed?

The inner peace that God gives is the same peace that deconflicts, brings calm and focuses love on every circumstance. As followers of Jesus, we have the power of that peace within us. We don’t have to shout down those who disagree or oppose us; we can love them down! We don’t need to win the argument; we need to spread the peace instead!

Is it for everyone?

There are some who don’t want it. They are adamant and determined to speak their minds, get their way, prove everyone wrong, gain the attention (or notoriety), and win the day! These people are in the world and, sadly, in the church.

Because some are intent on confrontation does not negate our responsibility to bring peace. However, it means that we may not always be able to do so completely. For those who would always be embroiled in conflict, we can pray, be gentle, listen, try to understand and encourage. We can still love them, even when we disagree. We can do so without building walls of hostility.

What if…

Some what ifs are unhealthy. But I wonder what if every follower of Jesus was committed to bringing peace into every relationship, interaction and communication they live. What if you were?