True peace starts with you. By healing your heart and restoring relationships at home, you ignite the kind of transformation this world desperately needs.
The world shouts loudly about peace these days: peace in the Middle East, peace in Washington, peace on our streets, etc…
Yet genuine peace isn’t something we simply advocate for but something we embody.
Peace begins quietly, within our own hearts.
I spent years looking outward, frustrated by the chaos I saw on the news. Wars, conflicts, divisions…it was easy to point fingers.
But the hardest battle I fought wasn't out there; it was right inside.
With past wounds.
With family tensions.
With unspoken anger I carried daily, showing up in ways I didn't want.
Proverbs 4:23 wisely reminds us, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Our internal struggles inevitably influence our external interactions.
I’m reminded of the story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4.
The storm raged, but he rested in the boat.
The wind howled, but he was sound asleep.
The rain descended, but Jesus didn’t flinch.
That’s because peace isn’t the absence of the storm; it’s the presence of Jesus within the storm.
We often champion big causes while ignoring the fractured relationships at home.
We dream of bridging divides internationally but overlook the unhealthy dynamics within our own families.
We grieve distant tragedies but forget about the hurting relative you haven’t yet visited.
Think about it: your family is your first mission field. It’s your foundational community, your original platform for practicing peace.
Ephesians 4:32 is our guiding light: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
The journey of genuine peace begins right here with humility, forgiveness, and intentional love.
Romans 12:18 challenges us: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Notice it depends on you. It always has.
Today, commit to healing from within, because when we all do, the world itself begins to shift toward greater peace.
