Articles
Things That Make For Peace
"Peace." Even the sound of the word has a pleasantness to it. Christians and non-Christians alike have extolled its virtues and bemoaned its scarcity in the world. The lack of peace brings anxiety, uncertainty, restlessness. Its presence brings calmness, serenity, a warm glow of security and hope.
So why isn’t there more of it? The short answer is that many don’t really want it. Other interests crowd it out, and though it is richness to the soul, peace can be subordinated by competing personal ambitions.
Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). This is a statement of reality, not desire. God wants peace and has provided the framework for it, but Jesus knew that opposing forces are at work that will counteract peace.
Jesus lamented regarding Jerusalem: “If you had known ... the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42). Ultimate peace in this world begins with our relationships with God, and the Israelites had long since departed from the faith and godliness that secures it. Thus they were blind to what would prevent the horror to come upon them in about 40 years.
Jesus is the solution that offers peace with God and fellow men (Eph. 2:14-17). Reconciliation with God and the resultant character it produces create a solid foundation for things that make for peace: humility, service, respect, sacrifice and love. Left to ourselves, vices such as covetousness, hatred, sectarianism and selfishness poison the atmosphere and suffocate peace.
Our desire for peace with God is tested when we sin. Will our consciences lead to correction? Peace with man is challenged when we are wronged. Will we seek reconciliation? Yes, peace is a wonderful thing, but it doesn’t grow naturally. It must be cultivated.
