Great Pursuits: Chasing What Matters Most in LifeSample

Pursue Peace

God invites you to spend your life pursuing things of eternal value. Blessings like peace, love, purpose, passion, and healing are part of the abundant life He offers, but you must intentionally pursue them in order to fully experience them. That’s what you’ll discover how to do in this seven-day reading plan. 

Day one of your exciting journey begins with the pursuit of peace.

The pursuit of peace with others begins by finding peace with God. The unsaved world lives in opposition to God. But because Christ reconciled us to God while we were His enemies (Romans 5:10), we now have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1)!

Philippians 4:6–7 NASB gives us both a command and a promise: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

In the simplest of terms, we are told to not worry about anything but to pray about everything. And once we make our request known, we are promised the peace of God. 

Out of the peace you enjoy with God by faith in Jesus Christ, as well as the supernatural peace of God you experience in your daily life, you are called to pursue peace with others. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all people.” 

All people includes your neighbor that’s acting like a jerk. It includes your co-workers, your family, your brothers and your sisters in the Church, and the unsaved people in your community. All people means all people.

So how do you practically pursue peace with the people in your life?

A good starting place when it comes to pursuing peace with people is prayer. Prayer brings the influence of God’s Spirit to bear on situations and people’s hearts – sometimes changing those for whom you pray, but always changing your own heart and attitude to reflect God’s peace. 

Communication provides another practical way to pursue peace. If you are going to have peace with someone where there are differences of opinion or perception, or where hostility has existed, you will have to talk with them, which means you will need to do as much listening as you do talking.

Finally, as you pursue peace with people, nothing speaks louder than your actions. If you really want to have peace with someone, your actions need to be inclusive, warm, and friendly. Invite the offended party to lunch if that is appropriate in your situation. Make them a part of your world. The old adage holds true: “Actions speak louder than words.”

Action Step

To keep you from pursuing peace with others, the enemy will often make you doubt the peace you have with God in Christ Jesus. Take some time to read Colossians 1:20 and declare in your heart: “I am loved, forgiven, and free because of the cross of Christ – at peace with God and empowered to pursue peace with those around me.”