Dear Friends,
I am continuing to reflect each morning on peace as I read through Proverbs 3. As we come up on election day, I am reminded that one thing that often gets in the way of the peace of those in Jesus is the erroneous belief that we are responsible for managing outcomes. Christians become embroiled in political battles and even go to war because we imagine that God wants a certain state of affairs to come about but is powerless to enact his own will and needs us to step in and strong-arm those around us into cooperating with God’s plan.
The more I have attempted to follow Jesus, the more I have become convinced that the only gift we have to offer back to God is ourselves. With this in mind, who we are becoming is of paramount importance, and it is God’s responsibility, not ours, to manage the nations.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB) says,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.”
At the end of the day, none of us is really that smart or that powerful. We don’t understand how the world works. We don’t have the power to control the nations or even our neighbors. And when we try, we very often make things worse instead of better. But we are in control of our own behavior. We can choose day by day to submit ourselves to God and to walk in love and faithfulness, as I wrote to you about over the last two weeks.
I don’t mean to suggest that we shouldn’t vote or that we shouldn’t engage projects aimed at making the world a better place. I think we should do both of these. But I do mean to suggest, in stark contrast to human logic, that character matters more than results, including election outcomes, laws, wars, and the various power struggles of nations. And I do mean to propose that there is never a time that it is necessary to do evil in order that good may result.
If we submit ourselves to God’s ways, pursuing love and faithfulness in all we do, we will find ourselves at peace regardless of external circumstances. And, we may also be surprised by outcomes that seem illogical to us. What if peace in our world is more likely to come about as we focus on becoming people of peace and inviting others to become people of peace than it is as we drop bombs to kill those we imagine to be our enemies, those whom Jesus has commanded us to love? In other words, what if peace begets peace and violence begets only violence? Also, what if our neighbors are more likely to choose love and faithfulness as they see these things flourishing in us in personal ways than as we criticize them and attempt to manage their lives from afar?
Let us not imagine that we know better than God. Let us trust instead in Jesus who taught us to walk in love and faithfulness and promised us peace. Let us trust that, as we walk in his ways, his Spirit will guide us through every situation.
Pray with me if you like.
God, I put my trust in you alone. I submit myself and all my ways to you. Let me not be anxious or afraid. Guide me in paths of love, faithfulness, and peace. Amen.
Love in Christ,
Michelle
