Advent for Christian Leaders, Part 3: Pursuing Peace

How do you define peace? I once thought peace meant having no difficulty, frustrations, or obstacles in your life. So when they showed up, I asked God, "Why?!?"

Why did He allow those things to happen? Why didn't He rescue me immediately from discomfort? Why did He stand by when He could change situations with a single thought?

I learned over time that difficulty, frustrations, and obstacles were not proof of the absence, callousness, or inaction of God. They were evidence of a fallen world and flawed humanity (including us - ouch!).

In my quiet time, God revealed that Peace is not the absence of adverse conditions, it is His gift to those that love Him. It is an inner calm and serenity, providing stability no matter what is going on around you, and the ability to trust His Heart when His Hand seems still.

PEACE - the second theme of Advent - reminds us to fix our focus on God. We know that enduring peace can only be found in relationship with God, through His Word Incarnate - Jesus, sustained by walking with The Holy Spirit.

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]

(John 14:26-27 AMP)

I asked God to help me better understand PEACE. The peace I heard "seasoned saints" talk about with wrinkled hands, decades of stories of the Grace of God, and hearts still on fire to serve.

I wanted the peace that I saw my parents move in; no matter what challenge presented, they always seemed to find a steadiness to face it together with direction from God.

The peace to look at a situation and be able to surrender it immediately (without trying to dictate the outcome) and trust God to cover and care for you.

The peace He gives that never waivers or changes - the peace that started at Jesus' birth.

He gave me these verses to learn what it means when He gives us Peace.

National Peace

Let's go to Isaiah 9:1-7. In this passage we see a nation under the fear of coming oppression and in the midst of spiritual regression. The Assyrian army is threatening attack, and Israelites have turned to praying to their ancestors instead of God for deliverance. In response, God gives Isaiah a message for Israel to have hope, because a baby will come to save them. Yes - a baby.

I believe this was to represent the purity of the gift of Jesus' coming. Babies have no ulterior motives. They simply love, bring joy, and encourage us to see life through new eyes.

The remaining verses tell us what to expect from the Baby as He grows. He will provide order ("And the government shall be upon His shoulder"), exceed expectation ("Wonderful"), comfort and guide us ("Counselor"), lead and direct us with strength ("Mighty God"), care for, love, and protect us now and forever ("Everlasting Father"), and make peace reign in our lives ("Prince of Peace"). To top it off, Isaiah says, "Of the increase of his...peace there shall be no end."

So in the midst of national uncertainty, the looming fear of war, and the loss of faith, God promises His Peace. Not something that is fleeting, but a comfort and stability that will never end. What an encouragement to the heart of Israel!

Good Will Towards Men

In Luke 2:10-14 angels appear to shepherds watching over their flocks. They share with them the good news of the birth of the long-awaited Savior.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

(Luke 2:10-14 KJV)

This announcement made it clear that the blessing shared was for everyone. Vocation, income, or education was not a limit to who could receive this great blessing. "Glory to God in the highest" is an expression of praise and thankfulness for this wonderful offering!

This miraculous gift is a representation of God's good-will to men, one that continues to bring peace on earth.

God Fights For Us

When we face attacks and feel the intense urge to fight back instead of waiting on God to intervene, we can take comfort in Exodus 14:13-15. Here God tells Israel not to be afraid of the Egyptians' chase to capture and return them to slavery.

He declares,

"The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

(Exodus 14:14 KJV)

If you have a big brother or sister you may remember telling them about a bully in the neighborhood, and then being told to stay in the house while they handled it.

In a similar way, God is telling Israel not to worry, and to keep their peace (remain steady not fearful), because He will fix it. He will handle it completely on their behalf and for their good.

When our proverbial Egypt is chasing behind us, we can remember that God will fight our battles and we can rest in His Peace.

Pursuing Peace

When we pray for something, God doesn't always hand it to us wrapped in a nice pretty bow. It's often quite the opposite. He provides an opportunity to learn, develop the discipline, or produce the fruit of the Spirit we are after. As I studied to write this blog, God gave me an opportunity to be a peacemaker.

I was on the receiving end of disrespectful comments on a business call. My human instinct was to clapback with an elegant professional defense, but in that same moment, I heard God whisper in my spirit, "Pursue peace." So I tempered my response to protect my witness and my business.

After we ended the call, I continued to pray and thought about how I wanted to move forward.

A couple of days later, I reached out to the other person and started the conversation calmly. Unfortunately, it began to devolve again. I intervened quickly, acknowledged their point of view, and offered a perspective they had not considered. I shared my reason for the call was to address the issue and find a path forward, not to play the blame game. In that moment I could feel their guard come down and their defenses break.

I felt a peace that although I didn't get to say all I wanted and had prepared on the call, I had been obedient to God's leading. I knew I had honored Him in the exchange, and that He would cover all I couldn't address or control.

I found peace in knowing:

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

(Matthew 5:9 KJV) 

I also remembered that in pursuing peace God doesn't hold us responsible for the other person. He commands that we do what is required and necessary on our end to maintain peace. In Romans 12:18 (KJV) He establishes a limit to our efforts, with this instruction:

"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

God does not bless the false peace of avoidance or silence. He calls us to be courageous in seeking true peace. We are to be proactive in our pursuit, giving our best good faith effort.

God also knows His creations (ha - that's each of us!), so He commands that we do us "as much as lieth in us." We are not to bend in a way that dishonors God for peace, or to pursue it endlessly if the other party(s) are not interested in pursuing it as well.

Just as Jesus told the Disciples to kick off the dirt from their feet, let their peace return to them, and continue on to the next town if the people would not receive the Gospel (Matthew 10:12-16), we are to give them to God in prayer and move on if someone does not wish to reconcile or make amends. Not to curse them or hate them, but to recognize the conversation is not fruitful, to place our efforts elsewhere, and place them squarely in God's Hands.

Remember, God is a gentleman. He offers invitations; He does not force; He does not compromise who He is to appease someone. We are to do the same.

Protecting Your Peace

Do you have a favorite book, necklace, award, or momento? How do you care for it? Do you keep it from corrosive forces in a protective sleeve, case, or shadow box? Are you careful with who and what has access to it?

Our peace is the same way. God gives it to us as a free eternal gift, but we must protect it. In Philippians 4:5-9 (KJV), we are given instructions on how to maintain our peace.

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

First we are to rejoice - give praise to God! Next we are to be known for our moderation - self-control and ability to serve well in season and out of season. We must be reminded of this because we don't know when God will return, and when He does we want to be found in good standing.

We must not allow worry to consume us, but to instead allow our prayers and requests to be full of gratitude. That will help us appreciate what we have and what God has done as we wait for His answers on our current requests.

When we do this, God's Peace will cover and keep us so well it won't make sense to those around us. Like Jesus said, it will be far above what the world gives to us!

To stay aligned with God's heart, we are told where to place our focus - on those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praise.

The final instruction is in two parts. First it reminds us to do what we have learned and seen practiced from others in the faith. The second part of that is to be under Christian leadership that is surrendered to God's leadership. We must be discipled continuously to keep growing in our faith and deepen our rest in the peace in God.

Your Story

This year it has felt like everything but stability and calm were winning. Yet there was always a gentle invitation to peace. To turn off the noise and amplify the still small voice of God. To focus on God's stability in the midst of what felt like unrelenting change. To find the encouraging story in a sea of bad news.

Today my challenge to you is to think about what having God's peace looks like in every area of your life.

• Does that mean you need to surrender the state of your finances to God?

• Do you need to have a tough talk with a friend or family member you've been avoiding?

• Do you need to declutter your home, office, phone, or laptop to allow peace to set your atmosphere?

• Do you need to create new client avatars to attract those who support peace in your nervous system and position you to create and deliver at your best?

• Do you need to realize you have done "as much as lieth in you" and the relationship or business now needs to be "shaken off" and released to God completely?

• Do you need to change the sources you seek out for help and return to God's Word and prayer for your next steps?

• Do you need to audit your social media, series recordings, and streaming profiles to eliminate anything that isn't true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praise?

Jesus came over 2,000 years ago to bring us a peace that is immovable, unchangeable, unshakable, and unrelenting. Let's make pursuing peace practical in our lives, leadership, and businesses.

That wraps our second theme on Advent - Peace.  Thank you for coming along on this journey with me. I pray each post reaches you where you are and allows you to see God's heart for you in a new way. I'll be back with Part 4 - Joy next.

If you have any questions, tips, or favorite things about Advent that you'd like to share with me and each other, please send me a note here. I would love to hear your feedback on this series and your favorite takeaways in the comments below.

I'm excited to uncover these lessons together and to add a new layer to the happiest time of year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lorin R. Carter

The Corporate Consultant