Wage Peace

Wars and rumors of wars, anger, hate, oppression, abuse, slavery, jealousy, rage, and hostility are the antithesis of peace. You hurt my feelings and I am offended. You contradict my worldview and I am outraged. You tit for my tat and and walls of isolation and resentment are built. 

We struggle to find answers to the conflicts that have spread across the world and in our backyards. We sacrifice and compromise but in the end the conflict still remains and peace is allusive.

The root cause of all hostility is sin, and no amount of negotiations will quell its ugly consequences. There may be moments of calm, but the animosity simmers beneath the surface and until the disease is cured all we ever deal with is its symptoms.

"And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father." Eph. 2:17-18 

Jesus said there would be trouble in the world, and the answer was in Him; he has overcome the world. We start to wage peace on the world by first being at peace with God. We have nothing more powerful to offer them then the gospel of peace.

We are to turn the other cheek, not because we enjoy abuse, but because retaliation does not provoke peace. We don't love our enemies because we like hate mongering and injustice, but because animosity doesn't provoke peace. We aren't to pray and love those who hate us because their actions are acceptable, but because it does provoke peace.

When we are at peace with God then the Spirit has something to work with to spread peace in the world. If you are at peace with God then you are His ambassadors of peace to a turbulent world. I'm just saying.