Life Can be Wonderful – 7 When Peace is Hard to Find

The Beatles sang about and people have searched for it all their lives. We sometimes greet each other with its sign. Governments negotiate for it and even sometimes go to war to try to gain it. At night when we close our eyes we pray for it. We search for it and we are called to bring it to our world.

Jesus even talked about how blessed we are when we work to bring peace to our world. He says we will be known as the children of God. Strange that if we keep our head while others are losing their head people might see us as children of God. Maybe the idea that the children of God are supposed to work for peace should move us to live and react to life in different way than people normally do.

So, what does it look like to work for peace?

Put your trust in God

I know that sounds exactly like what you would expect a pastor to say. But, I truly believe that having a faith in God does make a difference in your life. It is not fiddling while Rome is burning kind of thinking. Many times I hear Christians make statements about as long as you keep faith God will work things out. I just don’t always know that God is going to work it out quite the way we are thinking He should. There have been plenty of times life has gone the other way on me or my family. It is then that I have to ask myself if I still trust in God and His overall plan for my life. Isaiah, an ancient prophet once said “You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.” True peace is from trusting that God cares and loves you more than you can ever imagine. It doesn’t mean that He will make your life perfect but that you have peace in knowing that He is working behind the scene in ways we may never understand.

Give up your Messiah complex

I wish I could have been paid money for the times I have laid awake worrying about something or someone. You know it has never changed the outcome of anything I’ve worried about. So how much peace would I have in my heart if I just realized I’m not a messiah that can change a situation no matter how much I try to? Jesus once threw this stone in our messiah pond when he said “You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” Man, those ripples could really change my life. If I only worried about what I could change, then I would be down to about 7% of my life spent worrying. Problem is that it is really easy to talk about not worrying, but really hard to actually live that way. So we have to let things go so that we can sleep in peace a little in this life.

Search for the path to peace with others

Paul wrote a verse that really changed my life when I read it for the 100th time. You see I’m a people pleaser by nature. Not sure why or how that happened but I will bend over backwards to make someone’s day. I felt I needed to do whatever was needed no matter when or how or what it would cost me to help someone. If I disappointed someone in any way it would keep me awake and not right for days. Then Romans 12:18 broke into my prison and set me free. “Do your best to live peace with everyone.” Read those words again real slow. Now, read it one more time even slower. It is freeing because I am responsible to only do what I can do. I can’t bring peace to someone else’s life. I can only make sure I don’t do something to add weight to their life. I’m also free to tell them when the weight they ask me to carry is just too much. I am not responsible for everyone just to them. I’m responsible to be decent, kind, encouraging and prayerful for every other human I meet. I’m not responsible to fix, carry or cover for their mistakes and shortcomings. If they can’t accept what I can give then I don’t have to try to convince them that it should be alright. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your family and other friends is to let other friends and family walk out of your life and not chase them down.

If we are going to find peace and be called the children of God we need to remember those three things. Because if you trust God and quit worrying about situations you can’t change and chasing people who don’t really care about you then peace can be yours. Plus, you actually can get the sleep you need.