We had an awesome Bible Study at church last night. The Bible Study was about the pursuit of peace. The Study was held in a round table format with lots of input from everyone.
As I began, I asked scribes to record our comments. One scribe recorded all of the things we agreed were enemies of peace. Things like unnecessary debt, unhealthy relationships, gossip and so on. The list was quite lengthy.
We agreed that, quite often, peace escapes us because of situations we CAUSE in our own lives. We take on unnecessary debts because of greed or impatience, which leads to turmoil down the road. We say things we shouldn't which leads to relationsips being strained. We involve ourselves in lustful or adulterous relationships, as a substitute for real intimacy with our spouse, which leads to the complete breakdown of the family.
These issues, this turmoil, descends on us because of our own fleshly desires.
It is my opinion that we must desire peace more than we desire fleshly fulfillment.
1 Timothy 6:6 says this. "But godliness with contentment is great gain."
The Psalmist said that we are to
pursue peace. Search after it as a detective would search for clues.
Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
On another sheet we wrote down all of the things that brought us peace. Of course there were the obvious spiritual things like prayer, Bible reading and church fellowship. But there were other things as well. Things like exercise, fishing, solitude, music and family.
To our dismay, we realized that we neglected these treasured things entirely too often. We agreed to refocus on the things that bring us peace.
I guess the bottom line is this.
Peace is not accidental. We cannot sit by idly, hoping our lives will change and become more peaceful. Instead, we must pursue peace. Make an effort to be peaceful. Determine to live peaceably.
This may mean severing some unhealthy relationships. This may mean that we take on zero new debt for quite some time. This may mean turning off angry radio, logging off AFF or putting down the newspaper.
Peace comes with a price tag attached.
Self-denial.
Pursue peace.
My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 
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