I have come to the place where I don’t believe life is really worth living without peace, and that drives me to pursue peace in all areas. I spent many years frustrated and struggling in my relationships with God, myself, and other people and I refuse to live like that any longer. In order for things to change in our lives we must pray but we must also be willing to change. We cannot expect everyone and everything around us to change so we can be comfortable while we are passive and do nothing.
The Bible says that if we want to live in harmony with others we must adapt to people and things. I can assure you that I had no interest in adapting to anything or anyone. I did want them to adapt to me, but in my pride I didn’t even consider I needed to change, so my life and relationships remained in turmoil.
After many years I finally became willing to do whatever “I” needed to do to have peace, and learning how to adapt was number one on God’s list for me. I have discovered that having my way all the time is not really as important as I once thought it was. Now, I actually enjoy the freedom of not having to have my way. Yes, I said the freedom of not having to have my own way. My flesh may be uncomfortable for a short while when I adapt to someone or something else and it is not really what “I” wanted, but I feel great inside because I know I have followed the law of love and have done my part to pursue peace.
Adapting to others does not mean that we let them control us or that we become a doormat for the world to walk on. There are times when we need to stand firm no matter who gets upset, but there are also many times in life when we make mountains out of molehills and give up our peace over things that are petty. Will you make a commitment to be a maker and maintainer of peace? Will you examine all of your relationships-with God, yourself, and others-and do everything you can do to live in peace?
To me the most important point is that we must pursue peace. Most people want peace, but they don’t do what they need to do in order to have it. The first step is to get a mind-set that you are going to pursue peace with God, yourself, and others. As you meditate on that power thought and speak it over and over you will find yourself becoming more and more dissatisfied with turmoil. You will pursue peace! Think about it. What can you do to bring more peace into your relationships?
“Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it!”
Psalm 34:14
“I have told you these things, so that in me you have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration: but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”
John 16:33
“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18
