Yes, I know that conflict is a fact of life. It is. Unless you’re living as a hermit, you pretty much can’t make it through a single day without experiencing some conflict.
Right now, there are between forty and fifty wars, or “armed conflicts” as they’re called, going on across the globe. That’s staggering!
But even on a micro-scale, people in their personal lives have so much conflict going on . . . perhaps that’s why there’s such a deep yearning for peace. And yet for many—for most—peace remains so elusive.
Many can’t even find peace in their own homes. There’s conflict, strife, abuse, divorce.
But imagine if there could be peace—real peace.
Because Jesus, whether we realize it or not, was and is in the peace business. He said:
“Love your enemy. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.”
Jesus was, and remains, quite the radical. He knows that the only way for peace to break out—between nations, between people—is for one side or the other to stop shooting. For someone to lay down their arms and refuse to fight. For someone to take a stand for peace. For someone to love their enemy, come what may.
That was always going to be a risky strategy. What if after laying down arms, the other side kept fighting? But that was a risk God Himself was willing to take.
As Romans 5:1 says:
“We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (ERV)
The amazing story of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection is a true story about God laying down arms. It’s about God making peace. It’s about God letting His Son, Jesus, pay the price of justice for our rebellion, so that there can be peace.
Want peace between God and you? It’s only possible through Jesus.
Life Application Questions
Think back through your day or your week. When was the last time you experienced conflict in your own life? What was it about? How did it affect your day? Could you resolve it?
Where do you think you might need to lay down your arms? Imagine how that would free you to receive the gift of peace Jesus wants to give you.
What makes Jesus’s promise of peace in John 14:27 so radical?
Read Romans 5:1. Have you ever thought about Jesus’s life being a peace-making mission between you and God? Does it shift anything in your understanding of God’s mercy and love for you?
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Make the Most of Today Verse: Matthew 24:36-51 Recommended Reading Proverbs 11:30; Matthew 25:14-30; John 9:4; Philippians 1:20-26 Carpe diem. This Latin phrase means “seize the day,” and it certainly echoes a valid objective. We do need to seize each day, because we don’t know whether tomorrow will come or just how much of this life remains for us. But what if we did? Imagine if a clock on the bottom of one foot digitally displayed how many days remained before we died. Theologian Francis Schaeffer put it another way: “Life is like a clock with no hands. It’s ticking but you never know when it’s going to strike midnight.” What a sobering thought—for those living in the 1st century or the 21st century. Despite all of our advances in safety measures, in both industry and transportation, and all of our progress in the medical field, life still maintains a measure of unpredictability for us today. Accidents still happen, and people still suffer from strokes and coronary artery disease, often seemingly out of the blue. Nearly everyone has a story to tell regarding a friend, family member or coworker who has experienced something like this. The 1st century disciples asked Jesus, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). In the midst of his teaching, Jesus replied, “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42). In a way, Jesus urges his followers to “seize the day” because no one knows when he will return. But we do know that each of us will come face-to-face with Jesus and give an account of how we have lived for him. Each of us in large measure determines how that encounter will go. Jesus wants us to be ready no matter when he returns—to be “faithful and wise” servants (Matthew 24:45). Who are the faithful and wise servants? Those who are ready—those whom the Master finds doing his will when he returns.
“She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. ‘Dear woman, why are you crying?’ Jesus asked her. ‘Who are you looking for?’” John 20:14-15a (NLT)
As Labor Day approached last year, I was bone-tired.Finances were tight, and we hadn’t taken a vacation in some time, so I asked God if He could open a door. I prayed, and I waited. A couple of days later, a friend mentioned the people who’d booked their condo might be canceling their reservation. If they did, he wanted me to use it.
That night I prayed, If this would be a good thing, Lord, please open the door. If not, slam it closed. The following morning, my friend called and said it was all mine. I was so excited. I would be relaxing for a week, rent-free, no makeup, no high heels — just T-shirts and a ball cap. My husband Barry had some things to take care of at home and offered to stay with the dogs while I rested and prayed. He kissed me goodbye as I set off the following morning.
An hour into the journey, things began to go wrong.The air conditioning in my car quit on a day stretching into the high 90s. I turned the dial to the max to see if it might kick back in, but it didn’t. I turned it off and kept driving, but after an hour, sweat dripped off my forehead into my eyes. I rolled down the windows, hoping fresh air would dry me out. And it did — until the storm hit. The sky dumped bucket after bucket of hot water, and before I could roll up my window, I was soaked. Traffic came to a stop, and cars turned on their hazard lights.
I alternated between windows down with large buckets of water coming in, and windows up and large buckets of sweat pouring down. Nine hours later, I arrived, soaking wet and tired but still excited about the next day to relax. The following morning, I brewed some coffee and drove straight to the local drugstore for some sundries. Less than an hour later, I found a deserted area outside and situated my chair and belongings. Paradise! But as soon as my body hit the chair, it collapsed on top of me. I was trapped — quite literally.
Apart from a large dog that bounded out of nowhere and kept licking my feet, I couldn’t see anyone else in the distance. I couldn’t figure how to get out of my predicament. By the time I dug myself out, my legs were bruised and scraped, and it started to rain — not just rain, but storm! My canine friend wagged his tail, and I left him the soggy towel before I headed back to the condo. The week was not going as planned, and after another string of mishaps — which would take too long to describe — I decided to abandon the trip and drive home through the storm in my incapacitated car. Barry met me at the door with a sympathetic hug and a large stack of towels. Nothing had turned out the way I thought it would.
It hadn’t been the worst experience in life, and it certainly wasn’t the end of the world, but it had definitely been disappointing. Don’t you find it’s the little things that push you over the edge? You cope with the harder things in life, and then the dryer breaks when you need to get laundry done and you end up crying a bucket of tears. Or your child doesn’t get the part in the school play she hoped for, or your friend cancels plans to have coffee just when you really needed to talk.
None of this is life-altering, but it’s disappointing and can catch us off guard.When I find myself struggling with these kinds of disappointments, I choose to hear Jesus ask me the question He asked Mary Magdalene on that resurrection morning as seen in John 20:15a, “Who are you looking for?”
When we look for Jesus in the middle of what’s not working, we discover He’s always there, bringing peace and comfort. We can sit with Him for as long as it takes to be reminded of what’s always true, no matter what might be true for a moment. He loves us. He is with us. He is here.
Father, things in my life don’t always go as planned. I confess it’s easy at times to lose heart over the ups and downs, even if they are small. Thank You for the comfort and peace You offer in the middle of my mess when I choose to focus my heart again on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: Jeremiah 29:13, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (NLT) Psalm 16:11, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” (NLT)