With communities fragmented and divided, we may accept an illusion of peace rather than contend for true peace — peace only God brings. Our hearts and minds ache for perfect and lasting reconciliation in so many areas of our lives. Sometimes, we choose silence instead of truth or compliance instead of standing up for core values. Whatever false peace we achieve comes at an ever-increasing cost.
A mob of crows fight (or, shall I say, heavily discuss territorial rights) outside my window, awaking me from a placid sleep. Crows are communal birds, faithfully defending their strong family ties. But now in early spring, “old family” connections must make way for the priority of developing new family units. Their disagreement raged on through most of the morning. Eventually, some crows harassed others out of the neighborhood so those who remained could live in peace. It reminds me how once peaceful families can suddenly become distant or even destructive.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18
Even a flock of birds are wise enough to know that peace is not always possible. “The Illusion of Peace in biblical theology refers to the false sense of security and tranquility … when individuals or nations believe they have achieved peace apart from God’s will and truth. This theme is prevalent throughout Scripture, warning believers of the dangers of relying on human efforts or deceptive assurances rather than seeking true peace through God.”
Anxiety
As wars and conflict increase, it is no wonder we seek places of stability and calm wherever we can find them. It is difficult for those who are conflict adverse. It is difficult for those who live close to those who look for a fight at every turn. How do we find a balance — that place of true peace? Living in a high state of fear and anxiety quickly becomes detrimental to physical, emotional, and relational health.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. All enduring peace begins and ends with Him.
“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.“
John 14:27
“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” … easy to read … hard to do, but not impossible. We all face that real and endless battle for our hearts and minds. We must be relentless to capture thoughts that induce anxiety and worry. Our thoughts control our emotional responses. As we develop the habit of giving to God those things outside of our control and seeking His strength to work through those things we can change, we gain a sense of both empowerment and true peace.
So perhaps the first step is to ask God for His help.
“Lord Jesus, I give this situation to You. In myself, I cannot change either the situation or person involved, only You can. Give me grace and wisdom to do my part to bring reconciliation. My focus will not be on these things. I turn my thoughts completely toward You, and I receive your promise to give me strength and bless everyone involved with Your peace (Psalm 29:11).
The Word
Learning to apply God’s Word to our situation makes all the difference between winning or losing this battle. Does a simple prayer end the struggle? Usually not! At least not for me! But taking everything to God in a consistent fashion patterns our hearts and minds to trust in Him rather than being tossed by current circumstances. It is possible to trust God in and through it all.
Here are only a few God-promises He gives to us:
- “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2).
- “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
- “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble” (Psalm 119:165).
- “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
- “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).
Many of us snuggle into safe beds without bomb sirens piercing the darkness. Many others live under the constant fight-or-flight response of volatile home situations. We empathize with those robbed of peace no matter the scale of conflict.
Nonetheless, we all experience peace robbing techniques like fully capitalized emails containing threatening language, insecure work situations, frightening diagnoses, sudden death of one too young, etc. As such, we look to the comfort and assurance that God brings.
True Peace
None of us desire empty illusions of peace. We long for the real thing. Smoothing over differences doesn’t bring resolution where relationships thrive. So, we draw healthy boundary lines, determining which actions and attitudes are acceptable as Christ followers and which are not. By God’s grace, we choose our battles prayerfully and wisely. Then, in His grace, we take our stand on holy ground and fight for peace that endures — true peace.
We face another reality. Jesus Himself is a dividing line. People will either consider Him foolishness or accept Him as who He declared Himself to be — righteous God, only Savior, and Redeemer of all.
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Matthew 10:34
When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose to stand out against the world’s philosophies and beliefs. Division will come. It is a price we willingly pay to live fully for Him. As Christians, we may become the cast out ones from certain circles. At other times, we make the difficult choice to end destruction relationships. We cannot accept peace at any cost and yet live devoted to Jesus Christ.
Even the crows understand that temporary battles never offer long-term sustainability. True peace comes as a response to trusting in the Living God and renewing our mind in His Word and Presence. May we all come to know such enduring peace!
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