Psalm 34.12-14: Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Peaceful relationships do not just happen. In other words, peace is not an easy process but must instead be pursued. David tells us in Psalm 34 how to seek peace in relationships.
First, it comes when we fear God (Psalm 34.11). The foundation of peace is the fear of God, that is the standing in awe and living in reverent fear of our holy God. The fear of God is to live within the bounds God has set and seek to love Him and glorify Him above all.
Second, peace happens in the realm of controlling your tongue, fleeing from evil and doing good. Peace in a marriage will not happen when there are loose and angry tongues. Do you want to know the pathway to peace? Turn from evil and commit yourself to doing good. Simple, profound and highly practical.
Third, peace takes place when pursued. You can see God bending to speak into the human ear as He says, Do not give up. Do not give up - seek peace and pursue it. Too often in relationships we take the easy way out and give up on peace. We run from our problems and we do not humble ourselves before God. In a society where every problem is solved within a half hour sitcom, we can not seem to grasp that peace sought in the fear of God is attainable.
This is all brought together when we look at how Christ pursued peace. He came from heaven to sinners and he glorfied God as he died for His own. Amazing how God loved the unlovable and brought peace between them and God. As you see Jesus living his life and then dying on the cross, you see Jesus as he pursued peace. He did not give up, rather he said in the garden Not my will but yours be done.
Seek peace. Pusue peace. And remember how Jesus reconciled you with God your Father.
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