No matter what our religious backgrounds are…Wether we were raised Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, Greek Orthodox, Pentecostal, Baptist, Unitarian, Non-denominational etc. No matter what our views are on religion or the church; whether we love it, we’ve been hurt by it, we find it hypercritical, or we just don’t see the point of it. We can all agree on one thing, at least…we want PEACE.
Webster’s Dictionary’s definition of the word "peace" is:
a state of tranquility or quiet: asa: freedom from civil disturbanceb : a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom <a breach of the peace>
freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
harmony in personal relations
a state or period of mutual concord between governmentsb : a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity
I love this definition because of course we all desire tranquility, security, harmony, agreement and freedom in our lives! We want peace in our homes, peace at our jobs, peace in our relationships with family, friends and our significant other. Because peace brings us balance, it brings us joy and best of all it brings us freedom. When we experience peace, we are able to look at the world and the people in it, in a completely different light. So why is it that the one thing we so long for, the thing that makes our lives so much better, is the one thing we have such trouble attaining in our work, in our relationships, in our country and in our world?
Now the whole reason that I started even thinking about this concept is because God put the phrase in my head today, “You have to fight for Peace.” (Yes, it might sound crazy to some of you, but God does talk to me). On the surface that sounds so strange. Wait, war and peace are two completely opposite actions. How can I fight and have peace at the same time?
Often we think if we are good people and live our lives morally and lovingly then peace will follow. And for those that have faith in God, we believe that by praying and following God we will be given peace because it is a promise we find in the Bible after all. But the reality of life is that there are other people in it and those people have choices that can make your life a living hell and there are circumstances that are out of your control that can come at you out of nowhere to steal your joy. And many of us come to God in these moments and say, “I’m drowning here, please rescue me and bring your peace to get me out of this dark, confusing, impossible place!” A passionate prayer of waiting on God to come and save us, a prayer I have prayed many times over the years…
But then it hit me- this phrase “Fight for your Peace”, is a different take on it all. Every valuable thing in life…our rights, freedoms, passions, love, justice, equality are all things that we’ve had to fight for. When we want it, when we need it, when it is unjust not to have it, when we can’t live without it, we fight for it! And that made me think why don’t we see peace the same way?
Why don’t we fight for our peace! So instead of sitting there depressed and confused, we can stand up and fight for peace in our lives and in our hearts. Even though we don’t see the answer, even though our circumstances have yet to change, even though our hearts are still aching, we can stand up and say, “Today I choose to fight for peace in my life”. Because there are a multitude of things in this world that are warring against us to steal our peace and when we lose peace we often lose joy, hope and freedom. If we stand up and arm ourselves with the full armor of God we will be ready for this fight:
Ephesians 6:13-17 New International Version (NIV) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
I pray this scripture over myself every day and this is how I break it down for myself: I put on the helmet of salvation to guard every thought, fear, insecurity, anxiety, feeling and all of my creativity. I put on the breastplate of righteousness to guard my heart and my physical body. I grab onto the shield of faith to keep safe from all the dark, negative and hopeless circumstances, words, and trials that can be thrown my way. I hold the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God and I speak his word over my life today…“Greater is he that is in me then he that is in the world.” “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses for when I am weak you are strong.” And lastly, I put on the feet covering of PEACE. That every path I take, everywhere I walk, every step I take today, will be on a firm foundation of peace.
So today I choose to stand up and fight for my peace. I choose to say even though things are so difficult and confusing, I chose not to look at my circumstances. I choose to look to the truth…I have a God that loves me, that is good, that has promises of favor, blessings, protection, freedom, hope and joy over me. Even though I can’t see my way out right now, I choose to stand here, with my full armor on and say, “I’m going to fight for peace in my life!”
Philippians 4:7 New International Version (NIV) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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