Making a Pact for Peace

The intent for peace prevails upon our understanding when we get the perspective that all is not well, perhaps because of anxiety, or relational issues, or a disjunct with God.

This intent for peace is able to come about when we’re aware enough that we need to change our approach to be open to what God is communicating.

But just what could God be communicating? What could it be? What do we hear in the spiritual silence?

Though we don’t hear, we listen. Surrendered, we listen and we learn.

Making a pact for peace is first awareness, secondly it’s an analytical enquiry, and third it’s a plan of action. The third component is easiest, for knowing the problem is the largest part of feeling at peace.

Building The Awareness

The best thing about anxiety and problems is they build our awareness that things are not well. When we awaken with one of the myriad of emotional ills, many we cannot name, such awareness is valuable.

We cannot have peace unless we want it; we must desire it and do the work to reclaim it. Problems are part of the passage to peace. If we had no problems we would have no need of peace.

But building the awareness, and gaining self-knowledge of our situational underpinnings, those things that are wrong in our lives according to us, means we’re able to analyse and enquire.

Three Realms Of Peace

We need peace with God by our salvation—spiritual peace. We need peace with others in our relationships—relational peace. We need peace with ourselves—inner peace.

Part of our enquiry and analysis asks of these three realms, which peace is missing, and which peace needs to be supplemented?

Peace with God is the most straightforward, because if we’re saved it’s settled. At a personal level sometimes it’s not that easy, but according to God it is that easy.

Peace with others is often most problematic. We get into conflict, or cannot receive the approval of important others, or we struggle to forgive, or our views are so disparate. But these are just examples of the many forms of peace missing in our relationships. One thing we can remind ourselves of is what we are responsible for. There are so many things we assume responsibility for which we cannot be responsible. But, indeed, we cannot shirk our responsibilities, either. Relational peace comes from clarity in these ways.

Peace with ourselves is about our anxiety, and any of the residual guilt or shame from our pasts. Sometimes this is the hardest. There’s often no clear way. But if we gently search, asking God to help, many things may eventually prevail upon our understanding. Inner peace is achievable, but often we have to fight for it by not giving up.

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The pact for peace is achieved when we capably and preferably see the bigger picture, the wider view naturally most days.

Perspective and clarity are what we most need. Peace is available—with God, others, and within—if we use our awareness, making inner enquiries, and don’t give up.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.