Peace is a popular word in today’s world. The peace of God means something different than society’s version of peace. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:9, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” I love the version of this verse because it says those who work for peace. Peace does not always come easy. Neither does it come quickly. Sometimes it is difficult and takes time. True, biblical peace is different than “keeping the peace” as the world tends to think.
Merriam-webster defines peace in several ways. One way is, “a state of tranquility or quiet: such as freedom from civil disturbance, a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom.” This would be a way that the world would define peace: “freedom from civil disturbance,” the opposite of war, arguments, or discord. Think about it in terms of the church. If the church body is in agreement and there is no discord, then there is peace within the body. This is not necessarily biblical peace. The next definition that Merriam-webster offers is much closer to how the Bible defines peace, “freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.” Peace begins in the mind. The enemy loves to attack your mind with thoughts of worry, fear, or hatred. He wants to disrupt the peace that God gave you when he saved you. If someone has a peaceful mind, then their actions will be peaceful. This leads to the peace defined in the first definition. For the Christian, it begins with the mind.