Peace is King

I put out this question on Facebook this week: How do you find peace?

I think I suggested the wrong question because in the fashion of Facebook replies people wanted to be witty or seem funny, but in all honesty I wanted to know; how do you find Peace (in real life)? So, I began reflecting on Peace. Christ comes as the Prince of Peace in order to bring peace. But what can that mean?

When I hear the word peace I am faced with a conundrum. I suddenly feel a longing in my heart more than an awareness of what peace means to me. I can think of all the areas and places in which I want to experience or see peace, yet don’t.

Why is Peace so hard to experience, attain and be found in our world?

~ Each day I wake up with an inner turmoil within myself. I struggle to find and have peace within.

~ Inter-relational conflict or unrest causes dissension among my family, friends, and neighbors causing less peace within my sphere of life.

~ Then I look outward and see greater distress in our world increasing my longing for peace. 

The only counterpart of Peace I can find is Sin. 

I experience daily sin in my life that steals my personal peace. Then creating further pride and selfishness disrupting any potential peace among those around me causing a ripple effect that flows from each of us into our world and the places we go–home, school, work, organizations, governments, societies, and countries. We bred unrest. Our sin ripples across borders creating the breakdown of peace. 

Yet, our natural state is Peace

We were created by the essence of Peace through our Creator. We were created in Peace and to be Peace. We, in our createdness, encompassed Peace. Perhaps that’s why there is such a longing for Peace in each of our beings. We want what we once possessed. Though our current state of brokenness keeps us from fully experiencing, attaining, and seeing Peace in our world. 

Peace was taken, shattered, and replaced by with a lesser ambition of selfishness and pride. 

Our Christmas gift is the reentrance of Peace through the incarnate Christ. In the midst of our ambition toward power, pride, control, and selfish desire, Christ comes to set the world right by taking His rightful throne–The Prince of Peace to rule our hearts again, to rule the nations with Justice and Righteousness in order to restore Peace against humankind’s selfish ambitions. Christmas reminds us that Peace comes as a Ruler and it can be restored, but by His Kingship alone. 

Peace can be restored

For Christ, the essence of Peace, to restore peace He must:

~ Indwell in our person of being as our rightful King; we must give him Lordship. 

~ Be given reign over our lives, therefore, flowing over into how we serve, view, and love our communities, nations and all peoples.

~ Be allowed a voice in and through us. 

Christ is named the Prince of Peace because His Lordship matters in the restoration of us having given sin false kingship in our lives. The season of Advent prepares us for the coming of a King who is to rule our lives, hearts, and the world with Peace. The two cannot be separated if we truly long for Peace.