Always in Every Way

"May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Peace can be defined in so many ways and experienced in a myriad more. We talk about the “peace” of a person whose inner life has gone from restless to tranquil. The various components of personality are pretty much pursuing the same things, longing for the same goals, and inner stress is lessened. Most inner turmoil is the result of conflicted emotions: I want to be raise my children well, but I also want to be their best friend all the time.

We also talk about peace to describe the relationship between people. Two people may have had a serious disagreement which damaged their relationship. Until something is settled, neither one will feel very peaceful, at least in regard to that relationship. Peace is the result of either forgiveness, an agreement to disagree, or a realization that the issue that separated them was not important enough to cause such friction.

The “peace between people” can be extended to groups. It might be the arts department of a school vying for attention when they feel the athletic department receives a far greater share. It shows itself in infamous family feuds. Watch what happens when a will is finally revealed and the estate is not divided as expected. If any of these scenarios are resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, we can describe that as “peace”.

The saddest, most shocking and yet ubiquitous need for peace is the constant warring between nations which has held this planet captive for nearly every moment of its existence. I haven’t done the research, but I seem to remember a historian claiming that there has never been a time when there was not a war being waged someone on Planet Earth.

Some people live in ways that they, too, have never seen a time without conflict. Perhaps raised in an angry household, even experiencing verbal or physical abuse, peace is a concept that has little welcome. Not because they do not want peace, but because it seems elusive, without substance, and impossible to attain. Their lives can truly be described as “hell on earth.”

God’s desire is for every person to experience His peace. Imagine having a daughter or sister who you knew was being abused by her husband. Though she knows she needs to leave, she believes it to be nearly impossible to do so. The husband threatens her with lawsuits, to take the children away, or even with physical harm. She is afraid to stay and just as afraid to go. There is not a father in the world who wants that terror to continue.

Our Father God cares even more deeply. He provides ways to escape, and He provides ways to survive until the opportunity is there. (Note: these thoughts are not primarily about domestic violence, but about how much God cares when we do not experience peace.) Paul and Silas were imprisoned for preaching the good news about Jesus. In that moment, they had few choices.

We can imagine them, biting their fingernails, worrying about their families, and wondering if they would ever get out alive. The cell was pitch black and stunk of human waste. Yes, and at midnight we hear the two men’s voices. But instead of cries of agony or threats to the government, they are singing! They are raising their voices in a hymn of praise to God Himself. In prison with no outward hope of release, they were at peace.

I do not want to belittle the struggles people endure. I know of many and my heart is crushed over some friends’ horrible situations, either domestic or career related. But Paul, the same one who was imprisoned, writes to the Thessalonians and says, “May the Lord of peace Himself…”

Whatever is going on, God’s plan is peace. I wish I had truly believed that many, many times throughout my life. Times when cars broke down and I fretted, only to have money unexpectedly arrive from three different sources; enough to take care of our need. Times when my own mental struggle of depression tells me I am worthless, and people report how God has touched their lives through my words. God’s plan is peace, no matter what my sad sack brain may be trying to say.

So, let the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace. Oh yes, I am sorry, the verse says “always in every way.” No excuse there. God just won’t let me have even one little alleyway of stress or agony for my own. Nope, he’s paved the dark place with His peace, always, and in every way. As in all spiritual growth, it is up to me to “reset” my thinking, to turn the dial from “personal worry” to “personal God-given peace”. It takes practice, but I’m willing to learn.