Sometimes Pursuing Peace Looks Like Coping with Chaos

I heard a quote recently that said, “Whatever is the enemy of your peace needs to be removed.”

While that sounds fine in theory, when you think deeper about what happens if you were to actually do that it causes us to ultimately live more self-centeredly.. it’s like saying, “if this doesn’t serve me then it’s time to let it go.” Who told us this life was meant to serve us? And further, who told us that all things that create chaos are to be fully removed rather than worked through with heart-to-heart hard, honest and transparent conversations?

Now, don’t misunderstand me, there are situations and people who we may need to invoke boundaries on which can include limited or no access to us and those situations are valid.. However, our knee-jerk response shouldn’t be “you’re interrupting my peace so now I gotta cut you off.”

Sometimes pursuing peace looks like coping with chaos —doing hard things, having uncomfortable conversations, receiving unfavorable feedback as to how your actions or words deeply wounded someone else or vice versa.

Sometimes pursuing peace doesn’t mean the absence of conflict, it means being patient enough to weather the storm in a way that leaves you stronger than you were had you just avoided dealing with it at all.

Peace never starts with avoidance. It starts with walking through the uncomfortable, listening, being attentive, patient and humble, on both sides. Not just cutting people off and moving on without a fight.