The cost of peace

By Nancy Ward

Photo credit: Pixaby, Wikipaintings

Peace between warring nations comes with a hard-fought truce. Peace between the oppressor and those afraid to resist comes at the price of slavery.

Peace pursued constantly through pleasure and consumption is a fantasy that leads to obsession with whatever it takes to live stress-free:  comfort foods, constant distraction of entertainment, addictions.

We strive to live so that we don’t hurt anywhere. Our relationships work to our advantage. We have everything we want on our happiness checklist. For now.

Are we depending on ideal circumstances for a transient peace? Peace on our terms?

We ask God for peace. We ask him to take away our pain and struggles so that we can have peace. Yet in the middle of a health crisis, a faith crisis or a relationships crisis, where is God? We find him there with us.

Like the soldier in battle or the cowering slave, we stay poised to discover the peace that defies our understanding—and our control. No one can take that peace away from us. Peace that doesn’t depend on shifting circumstances. Peace that isn’t vulnerable to the enemies of joy that snatch that conditional peace from us.

Our prayers often dictate to God what to give or take away to meet our low standard of peace.  Can we trust Him to give us not what we want but what we need? And that need is to discover the high peace of His Kingdom!

We can ask the Prince of Peace, who paid with His life for our peace, how we can live in lasting peace. He tells us in Matthew 14:17, “The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy, in the Holy Spirit.” He invites us into his Kingdom.


Continue reading at Nancy's blog JOY Alive in our hearts.