Fight for Peace

11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
--1 Peter 3:11

Peace is not as easy as it sounds. We often think of making peace as stopping fighting. It sounds almost passive. But here we see that peace is something that must be pursued. We have to fight for peace. We have to fight for peace in our relationships--it won't just happen, but every day we must struggle to protect peace. We have to fight for peace in our hearts. Paul writes of the peace of God that transcends all understanding which comes when we offer up our concerns to God. (Phil 4:6-8) This is a daily routine. And as Paul reflects in the subsequent verse, we must fill our minds with what is true, noble, right, pure, etc. if we are to find peace. My mind is always under attack with thoughts that bring worry and discontent. It is a daily fight to pursue the peace which transcends all understanding and guards our hearts and minds.