“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1 (NIV)
All of us desire peace. We want to be at that place in our lives when we are at peace with those around us. Yet at times the peace that we hope and yearn for proves to be elusive. In our sinful impulses and human failings, we quarrel over things which have no real consequence, say things that we do not really mean, and act in a regrettable manner towards others. When we see the damaging effects of our petulant behaviour we know that this is not meant to be the way in which we must live. That is what motivates our quest for peace; the cherished calm and joy which comes from living with one another in harmony.
However, if we try to cultivate that peace through our own wisdom and efforts it will not last. As long as sin continues to exhibit a hold on our lives, serenity will continue to slip away from our grasp. The source of strife is our sinful nature. It is what compels us to act in ways which ultimately fail to bring us peace. Our only cure is when we allow Christ to reside in our hearts; accepting His redemptive sacrifice for us and permitting Him to break the chains that sin holds in our lives. When we make that choice to submit our attitudes and thoughts to Him, He will fill us with His everlasting peace. By resting in the peace which Christ gives us, only then will we be able to dwell with each other in love and unity. He will give us His Spirit of discernment to choose our words carefully and act according to His righteousness through His enabling. When we choose to step outside His perfect will and fail to allow Him to take reign over our thoughts and actions, we will not find peace either with ourselves or with others. But when we choose to live in accordance with Christ, we will be able to live in harmony with those around us; bearing witness to the assured hope of the human race being restored through Him.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
