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Writer's pictureA Right Heart

The Pursuit of Peace


“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16


In my younger years, I had some goals… personal goals. Nothing too ambitious really. I wanted to be successful in some capacity. I wanted a family, a home, to be happy, and honestly, to do God’s will and serve Him. It’s only been recently where I have begun to crave peace. I have been searching for it, asking for it, waiting for it, and longing for it when it is absent.

I think that I am beginning to discover that you can have a lot of things and be a lot of things, but it’s very difficult to enjoy those things when you don’t have peace.


I think there’s really several different levels and layers of peace. There’s the peace that exists in a quiet space.. when the kids have gone outside to play and the home is silent. Or the early morning walk where the only sound is coming from birds and wind and other creatures of nature. There is a beauty and a restfulness in that peace.


Then, there’s the peace that comes when you have your life mostly in order. Your bills are paid, you and your loved ones are healthy, you are doing well in your job, and you are enjoying the little things in life. This is a peace that you are experiencing because you feel blessed, and maybe a little bit in control.


There seems to be many things that have the ability to bring some level of peace. If you have lived a human life of any amount of time, then you know that none of those things are totally reliable, consistent, or sustainable. At any moment, things can change and the peace goes with it.


In my searching for a peace that is perfect, steady, and certain, I have come to the place where I think I am starting to understand it. Peace isn’t a circumstance, state of being, or even a goal. The truest and purest peace is a Person. Jesus, Himself is peace. Jehovah Shalom, which is one of many Old Testament names of God revealed to us, is translated: “The Lord is Peace.”

Isaiah 26:3 says: “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” In other words, we will have troubles in this life. We will deal with loss and sickness and external fears. But those who can keep their thoughts and their focus on God and surrender their trust to Him will have a perfect, steady, and sufficient peace.


One of the ways to keep your thoughts focused on the Lord is to get to know God more through reading His word and meditating on who He is. The more that you know about God’s character, the more you will be able to cling to and rely on when things are uncertain and difficult. One of the most powerful tools that we offer at A Right Heart is our biblical meditation podcasts. Each episode is about 10-12 minutes long and is filled with truth about God’s character and heart. Listening to the words and letting them soak into your mind and heart is a great way to deepen your reservoir of truth. When the storms of life come against you, you will be able to recall those words and they will be a foundation of peace and truth that you can stand on.


Peace isn’t passive and it isn’t a one-time transaction. It is a pursuit of our heart and mind. It is a seeking of the face of God and the words He has given to us… the words that reveal who He is.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33


Joe Gallo

ARH Staff Writer

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