Seek Peace

It’s easy to complain about life.  It gives us so many reasons to be discontent…the job isn’t ideal, friends let us down, family is too pushy, Covid is a nuisance, children are a handful, the washer broke down, you name it.  Perhaps we are tired of a changing generation—disrespectful and selfish, frustrated with an overreaching government, or even just disheartened when we say “hello” to strangers or acquaintances as we pass them and smile and receive no response…that last one is a particular sore spot for me.

If we are discontent with our circumstances, or that which surrounds us, there is really only one answer.  In Jeremiah 29, Jeremiah the prophet shares with the captives, who had been taken to Babylon, a Word from the Lord:  “And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”  In other words, pray.  Whether we were exiled to this place where we live or came to it of our own free will, pray.  Pray for the people—pray for our boss; pray for our family; pray for our children; pray for our government—local and national; pray for the people who don’t smile back…  Pray—and specifically pray for peace.

The Lord tells His people they are to seek peace for the city that they are in and pray to Him for it and then comes the promise…“for in its peace you will have peace.”  Prayer changes things.  We are promised this again, and again, and again in Scripture, so we must pray for the peace of our city and we must seek peace for our city.  If I’m not mistaken, the seeking peace is a different kind of action on our part.

Is it possible that seeking peace starts with prayer but ends with us putting feet to the prayer?  My grandpa used to do that when he needed work…he would pray for a job and then get up and go look for one.  Would it be much different for us?  We pray for peace and then get up and put into action living a life of peace—we seek peace in every situation with love, kindness, patience, forgiveness, humility…

Today, let’s pray for the peace of our city and then go out and live a life of peace in the midst of the people where we live.