This month, I’m focusing on one of the Fruits of the Spirit: Peace. Conflict is hard to avoid. So how do we hold on to our peace even when things are upsetting and chaotic?
“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with conflict by peaceful means.” – Ronald Reagan
Picture peace as an emotional spa. Quiet and calm, filled with the low sounds of a strummed guitar and maybe a small waterfall.
Now picture yourself looking out the window from your comfortable recliner. Because that’s when you’ll notice there’s a war going on out there.
In fact, outside of your little spa room, it’s pretty much nothing but chaos and crazy. And it’s not long before you start feeling the banging on the door as that mess tries to find a way into your oasis of peace.
That’s what peace is like in this world. Peace is not the whole ocean, it’s just a small island surrounded by rough seas. For most of us, not a day will go by without a conflict trying to suck us in and steal our peace.
Sometimes those conflicts are external, like when our spouse picks a fight or our co-worker doesn’t do their part of the work project. Sometimes they’re internal, like when we tell ourselves we aren’t slim enough or when our bodies begin to fail us.
Either way, conflict surrounds us. But it doesn’t have to take away our peace.
Holding tight to Peace in Conflict
When conflict occurs, we can react in a number of ways. We can jump into the fray, like when our husband picks that fight. Or we can retreat, like when our friends ask for a mediator.
But neither one of those options will preserve our peace. Arguments often leave bitter feelings when things are said that can’t be taken back. And abandoning friends in need eats away at the trusting foundations of our relationships.
But holding your ground against conflict and meeting it with peaceful purpose will not steal our peace, but protect it.
If peace is your spa, then you can’t rush out the door, nor can you invite the chaos in. And if peace is your island, you’ll drown running into the water or land up at the top of a coconut tree while the waves swallow up the sand below.
Holding on to your peace is the only way to keep it in the face of conflict, and you can only hold on to it by using it.
Use peace to keep your thoughts clear and emotions under control.
Use peace to look at the other person and what they are going through, not just how it affects you.
And use peace to remember who you are, with or without the 10 pounds, and who strengthens you through the fights in life.
“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)
Jesus left the world with this promise to us. No matter what conflict is in your life, He has given you His peace. Fear, anger, and stress are not stronger than that.
When conflict seems around every corner and you feel peace slipping away, hold your ground and know that you are strong in the Lord.
Have a blessed Monday!
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