For the one who wants to love life and to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit . . . Let him seek peace and pursue it. —1 Peter 3:10–11
Our words can either pridefully shut people out—or humbly invite them in. We all have some “high gates” we erect with our mouths. I like to call one of them the gate of battle. It means we enter conversations with our swords drawn. We bar our gates, fortify our defenses, attack, and do battle—even with those we love the most.
Opening our gates opens the way for God to work in our lives. To do so, we must—in wisdom and humility—cultivate a spirit of peace. Peace brings down barriers. It destroys dividing walls of hostility. With God’s peace, we can have a tranquil spirit that is neither defensive nor combative. And when we choose to pursue peace and promote it in our communication with others, the Bible promises that we will have joy (Prov. 12:20).
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Conversation Peace: Improving Your Relationships One Word at a Time (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2004)
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
How can you choose to pursue peace today as you communicate with others?