Peace is something that just about any sane individual would want to have, but it sure seems illusive.  As a country, the United States sure seems divided.  Sometimes we hear about red states and blue states, but it isn’t just between states.  Within a state there are divisions.  And the divisiveness goes all the way down to the individual level.  There is so much hatred between some people that they won’t even talk to each other.  And how is it ever supposed to get any better when people won’t even speak to each other?  The simple answer is that it cannot.  People will need to figure out how to speak to one another . . . and civilly.  Yelling won’t help.

What Is the Solution?

In Rom. 12:18, Paul tells the church in Rome, yes, the seat of the Roman Empire, to live peaceably with all people to the extent that was possible.  Paul also included language stating that they should do so to the extent that it depended upon them.  In other words, you try to live peacefully with others.   If others refuse, there is nothing you can do about that, but make sure that you are not the reason that there is no peace between you and someone else.

You might think that as long as you are offering to be peaceful toward others, you are in the clear.  Well, maybe there’s just a little bit more to what is placed on us.  In I Cor. 6:1-8, Paul is appalled that some members in the church in Corith, as they are taking one another to court!  Paul has a few points, but two of them are: (1)  Why are you suing your brother? and (2) Why are you turning to the world(ungodly) to resolve a dispute between Christians?  After all, if there was a dispute, shouldn’t godly-minded people be brought in to try to solve the dispute?  But part of Paul’s statement is that it would be better to be cheated, albeit by a fellow Christian, than to go to court.

And finally, in Phil. 2:3-5, Paul tells the church in Philippi that they should put aside selfish ambition and to put others ahead of self.  Quite often, a lack of peace comes from selfish ambition.  We want what we want, and we don’t care what someone else wants.  Jesus was not like that, and Paul asserts that as followers of Jesus, we should not be like that either.

Conclusion

If people followed the above statements by Paul, there would be a whole lot more peace.  Unfortunately, most people are not following what Paul wrote.  In fact, most people are not following Jesus at all!  But I hope to write more about that next week.  For now, we need to make sure we are not the problem.  Nobody ever wants to admit that they are the problem, but when there’s strife, at least one person is the problem and both people might be the problem(s).  And let’s make sure we are solving problems with others . . . with others.  We need to go to those people to solve those issues.  That might include admitting that we are the problem, or at least part of the problem.  And finally, we might just need to “take one for the team.”  No one wants to be harmed when we are in the right.  But in the interest of peace, especially peace between Christians, we just might need to do just that.  Maybe this thought will make it easier to do:  Do you want both yourself and the other person to spend eternity with God?  If so, and I sure hope that is so, what wouldn’t you be willing to do to help that happen?  Let’s go out and do that and be that(person).