As I look around me, I see a world at war. There are people all over the world shooting at each other. We have the war in Syria. We have a number of armed conflicts in the continent of Africa. Country against country, but even more, the wars are becoming more cultural or religious in nature.
But wars aren’t just between nations, they can also exist between people. They may not always use guns, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a war or at least a state of conflict. I have heard some pretty crazy stories about neighbors being at war. Not long ago I read an article on the CTV News website that said that Calgary police had responded to over 1600 phone calls regarding neighbor versus neighbor disputes. We have people who are living in the same homes who are fighting with each other. I hear stories about husbands and wives at war with each other as they seek a divorce. Both fighting for the family home, both fighting for the kids. No one wins.
It is easy to see that we are living in a world without peace. Why though? Why are so many without peace? I would suggest that most conflict occurs in relationships because people aren’t “content”. They are not satisfied with the current state of affairs. People have a longing for more than what they have. They lack inner peace. Regrettably, they turn to other people in order to force their will on others in hopes that will satisfy their desires. It goes far beyond this though. It is not just internal desires or longings. There are literally millions of people in this world who suffer with fear and anxiety. There are people who are working under great stress, people who are in overload. These people are constantly trying to restructure their lives to alleviate the issues they face in life. These adjustments put a greater burden on others and result in relational stress.
I had a not so comical experience just the other day that might help to illustrate this point. I was visiting the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I got a great report: no cavities!!! But I need to be honest: visiting the dentist is not the most exciting place in the world for me to be. Oh, they were terrific people. But as I am sitting in that chair, this lady is scraping away, poking, prodding, pulling. There were moments when it all just hurt. She was super nice, and she really seemed to know what she was doing. She told me, though, while I was sitting in the chair that I needed to relax. She said my stress was causing her stress. My tension was causing her tension. I have to admit, I had my hands wrapped around those arm rests pretty tight. I was so tense at times that the hygienist had to actually remind me to breathe. Obviously, I am not the greatest patient.
I hope though that you can see my point. When we are not calm in our own circumstances, when we are anxious, when we are stressed, when we lack contentment, this lack of inner peace rubs off on others and results in a lack of peace in relationships.
Lack of peace in relationships is because of a lack of inner peace in one person’s life. So what are we to do? The solution is to establish peace with God. That may seem strange but it is so true. When we can find peace with God, we will no longer stress over the unknown. When we have peace with God, we will find a contentment regardless of our life circumstances.
Peace with God, though, is not automatic. We may not realize this, but we often do things that offend God. We also sometimes find ourselves ignoring Him and His wisdom. The result is enmity with God. However, if we can go to Him and ask for forgiveness, the result will be peace with Him that will last for all eternity. The great thing about this peace, is that it also results in a contentment that can’t be found anywhere else. When Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, he encouraged the people that an intimate relationship with God would result in a peace that surpasses all comprehension (Phil 4:7). A relationship with God won’t result in the absence of trial, but it will instill within you a sense of calm, a sense of tranquility, that will enable you to endure. So, peace with God, results in an inner peace, that in turn results in peace with others. If we want more peace in this life then we need to begin by seeking peace with God.