For this is what the Lord says:
"I will extend peace to her like a river..."
– Isaiah 66:12
 February 20, 2004
“Peace isn’t the absence of war.” That’s an old saying and a wise one. 2003 was quite a year for peace protests. I can’t tell you how many people I saw on street corners trying to achieve peace by waving signs. If you ask me, peace is so much deeper and more difficult than that. I am all for standing up for what I believe in, but it’s important to “talk your walk and walk your talk.” For most of us, when it comes to peace, our walk doesn’t match our talk. We need peace in our hearts and neighborhoods before we can make it happen around the world.
 I’ve learned through the Scriptures and experience that peace is an act. If I want inner peace (personally), I must take action. I must be in God’s Word, searching for it, accepting it, and then acting on it. The same is true for the outward peace we all strive for or dream of. Jesus talked a lot about loving others, not telling us to like everyone, but to love them. An action. That is what brings true peace between oneself and others. It’s not easy, but it is essential for the world to be at peace. I don’t think there will be true world peace before our Savior comes back, but I do believe that the little loving things we do will create a more tranquil nation, state, and community.
Making peace often means doing things you may not feel like doing. When traffic is bad, let someone ahead of you that is trying to sneak in (even if it’s evident that they are being unfair)! If they cut you off and are driving like a maniac, keep your cool. What good is it doing to flip them off or get angry? NONE! An angry response will diminish the peace in your own heart as well.
 People usually expect the same treatment they give out, and when you just love them it breaks that ugly cycle. Smiling and nodding your head at your crabby waitress gets you further than starting an argument with her, or holding your frustration inside. If you choose to love her, not only will you feel more peaceful, but it will cause her to seek out the peace you have. Through these small acts of kindness, peace is created in the smallest areas of your life and someone else’s!
Maybe the way to bring peace into the world is to aim smaller, not so much bigger. Most of us can’t change world events, but we can influence our neighborhood. When we do that, world-changing peace will be planted, even if just a tiny bit. Each and every thing we do can create peace, or make it non-existent.
 article by Gina Norman
email her about this piece at kevinandginanorman@netzero.com |
