Seek Peace And Pursue It

Our nation and many of our communities have seen turmoil and strifeThis is not the kind of life that any of us would seek. The scriptures tell us how to have a life we can love and good days in it. 

Peter quotes Ps. 34 to instruct those “who means to love life and see good days .” since God wants us to have a good life here on the earth. He did not create us to come here and suffer. He intended for this earth to be a good place to live. (Rf. Gen. 1:31)

The first instruction is to control our tongues. James calls the tongue is a fire, hard to control (Jas. 3:3-8). And the Proverbs note that the tongue can quickly get us in or out of trouble,“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov. 15:1)

Second, turn from evil and do good. The good man will not be troubled as the evil one is. The evil man must always be worried about being caught in his lies and deceptions and watching out for the retaliations of and recriminations from those whom he has harmed.“‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked,’” (Isa. 57:20,21).   

Third, “seek peace and pursue it.” Peace with your neighbors is paramount to a good life. This peace is to be sought and pursued, it is to be hunted for and actively looked for. It is not an easy thing to find or maintain in a world full of malice, envy, strife, and murders. But we, as Christians, are to pursue it through prayers (1 Tim. 2:1-3), and reconciliation (Matt. 5:23-25).