Seeking and Pursuing the Peace of Christ
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Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. - Psalm 34:14
As Christians we're called to live in peace. In fact, as Psalm 34:14 instructs, we're called to seek and pursue it. I sometimes think of peace as being passive, but these words indicate action, which means we are called to actively go after the Peace of Christ. It's not a passive thing. Further, we are to not only find and abide in peace ourselves but to also offer it to others.
We can't radiate this peace outwardly, though, if we're not first anchored in it inwardly. I find if I go even one day without spending time in the Bible and praying, I tend to go on autopilot and miss opportunities to "do good" and pursue peace. Being out of alignment with the peace of Christ also impacts my physical and emotional health. I feel restless, fatigued, and anxious.
This idea of living in peace is such an important concept to God that it's mentioned literally hundreds of times in the Bible. It's even counted as a Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). This means it's stunningly important. I actually wrote about living out the Fruit of the Spirit, including peace, in my song, "You'll Find Me There," where peace is mentioned directly in verse two: "When there's peace instead of slander, and you seek to understand. When you care for all creation. When you lend a helping hand. You'll find Me there." We will, indeed, find Him in this place of peace, and others will be drawn to the peace within us.
Like so many of you, I’ve been deeply affected by recent violence both domestically and abroad. It seems every day there’s a new crisis that threatens our personal peace. I think this is when we need the peace of Christ the most, to combat the overwhelm and dread that tries to creep into our minds. Jesus guides us on how to navigate this in John 14:27, “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.” He tells us not to look to the world for peace; it will give us anything but! So, the next time we start to go down a rabbit hole of worry based on what’s happening around us, let’s instead tap into the supernatural peace that's available to us through Christ. We don’t have to be "troubled" or "afraid," friends. We can instead actively "seek peace and pursue it," and by doing so, find it!
Questions for Reflection:
1. What are some ways you prioritize anchoring yourself in the peace of Christ? What are your go-to scriptures for this?
2. Do you relate to my need to consistently pursue peace or otherwise go on autopilot and/or let worry creep in? Can you think of an example when this happened? (I can think of many in my own life!)
