How to guard someone’s peace
This is the fourth post in the Others-oriented fruit of the Spirit series. The topic is peace. Get future posts delivered to you for free by grabbing the RSS feed or email updates.
Perhaps it was the hippies’ fault. Perhaps it was the politicians’ fault. Perhaps it was our own fault for not understanding. But somewhere we developed the belief that “peace = not war.”
Guess what, though? That’s impossible right now. I know I’m a bubble burster, but no where does the Bible say anything about all conflict and struggle disappearing right now. If you’re waiting for that peace, you have to wait to get to heaven. For now, it’s not going to happen.
But that’s okay – God has something else in mind. He wants us to have peace through the turmoil. That’s the peace I want to talk about sharing with others.
Excitement and peace aren’t oil and water – they’re butter and bread.
Peace is inner calm
That’s the peace Jesus offers us now. So often we try to help someone find peace by adjusting the outside circumstances of life.
- If we’re scared of public speaking, we don’t speak in public.
- If we worry we won’t meet all the deadlines in time, we avoid making deadlines.
- If we fear our boat is going to sink, we complain that Jesus doesn’t care if we die.
And like in that boat, Jesus does calm the storms – sometimes. But what’s even more comforting is being able to pass through the storm and remain at peace. That’s the peace God really wants for us.
Here are four ways to share it.
1. Remind of what God’s already done
We forget. Way too quickly. Reminding someone of what God’s already done in their life works because it’s first hand experience. They can remember what God did vividly if reminded correctly.
We often lose our peace because we focus on just our little world directly in front of us. Bringing in past experiences expands that world to include promises God’s already kept instead of just promises He’s given.
2. Point to someone who’s saying the same
Like I did last time in the discussion about joy, bringing someone else’s opinion, like Nick Vujicic’s, into the discussion can also broaden someone’s scope. This one works because the recommended person is often seen as someone who’s less biased.
Nick Vujicic doesn’t really get anything out of telling your friend about peace. You, on the other hand, might seem pressured into trying to comfort a friend. You friend might feel, “You’re just saying that.”
3. Emphasize the gospel
This is where we find our joy. We are joyful because of what God’s done for us. When someone truly recognizes God’s love, peace follows. A loving God cares of us, so there’s nothing to worry about.
That’s a big step to take when someone’s looking only at their immediate circumstances. That’s why it takes continual engcouragement to reach that point. However, the gospel should be the crux of any attempt to bring peace – in fact, it is only this that ever has.
4. Bring back to the Scripture
This is like #2 kicked into extreme mode. Recommending a person who’s going through something similar is one thing. Recommending Scripture that speaks directly to a given situation, though, can be even more effective because it carries more authority.
The difficulty with this is that often when a person isn’t peaceful, it’s because that person has abandoned Scripture. In this case, God’s Word (as crazy as it sounds) loses its perceived authority. If that’s the case, it’s a matter of starting over with #1.
How to guard peace
Guarding someone’s peace is a like getting enough sleep – it prevents problems in the future. Prevention isn’t popular because the need doesn’t feel as strong when nothing seems wrong. Waiting until something seems wrong, until someone wakes up and realizes they’re overwhelmed out of their mind, is not the way to do it.
Guard peace. Build it in others before they think they need it. Because they’ll need it sooner than they think. The storms will come. The deadlines will pile up. The speech will scare. But it’s a matter pushing through with the inner calm God offers.
There’s a line in the movie Fireproof that says, “Fireproof doesn’t mean the fire will never come, but that when it does come, you’ll be ready.”
That’s the peace God offers, the peace to go through. That’s the peace we’re to guard for others.
Serving Suggestions:
(1) Surely you know someone who could benefit from some encouragement (read: everyone). Use the steps outlined above to share God’s peace. I know I always say this, but get specific. Don’t just say, “Everything’s going to be okay.” Remind them why.
(2) Consider starting an encouragement journal. Write down specific stories and Scriptures you can share that will bring peace for others. (Maybe you could even share some with us in the comments.)
This post is also part of Bridget Chumbley’s blog carnival. After you leave a comment, check out the other articles on the topic of peace here.