Obtaining Peace: Seek Wisdom

Peace 13

          Peace is a priceless jewel to the man who has none, and a priceless jewel to the man who has some. Whichever way you turn it, its facets reflect beautifully on the face and in the heart of the possessor. But how to get it is the question. Men pursue it desperately and though they sight it, it recedes before their vision as the mirage of an oasis does before the thirsty traveler. The world dangles it as a carrot in front of the horse, promising it via money and pleasure and possessions and chemicals and all manner of things that just never quite seem to deliver.

          God delivers. In the past seven posts we have seen seven different methods of that delivery, seven specific things we can incorporate or do that will produce genuine peace in our lives. Today, we come to the eighth. It is this: peace comes when we get wisdom.

Proverbs 3:13–17

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, And the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, And the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies: And all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand; And in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.

          What is wisdom? It is seeing life like God sees it, making your decisions with the omniscience of His perspective. Picture, if you will, standing above a mouse at the entrance of a maze. At the other end is a chunk of cheese. Between the entrance and the cheese are a thousand choices, many of them wrong. But that mouse cannot possibly know, outside of trial and error, which choices are right and which ones are wrong. Your perspective, on the other hand, is omniscient. You can tell the result of every single decision that mouse makes. If he had the humility to avail himself of your perspective he would make correct choices and avoid the incorrect ones. That is wisdom. We are the mouse. Life is the maze. We need the perspective that sees the end from the beginning. We need God’s perspective to guide our choices. What is wisdom? It is seeing life like God sees it.

          Someone reading this will be tempted to drink this week. That would not be a wise choice, from God’s perspective. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosever is deceived thereby is not wise (Proverbs 20.1). Wisdom refuses such hollow offers, and receives instead genuine peace from God when it abstains. Oh, you do not believe me? The people you know who drink the most have the least peace. See?

          Why is it some churches are peaceful and happy while others tear themselves apart in sound and fury, hunting and pecking each other to death? One biblical answer is found in Proverbs 11.30. He that winneth souls is wise. Churches that are after people with the gospel are always happier, more peaceful churches than those who rarely if ever witness. Why? Witnessing is wise, and her paths are peace.

          Would you like a simple guarantee of a constant, never-ending lack of peace? Compete with everyone around you. Turn life into a game in which there are winners and losers and decide at all costs to be a winner. Wait, what? Yeah, the more competitive you are, the more you compare yourself to all and sundry the less peace you will have. We dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise (II Corinthians 10.12). I have zero interest in getting on the internet with all my preacher friends tomorrow and chasing down which one of us had the most in Sunday School today. What a mess that kind of thing becomes. Wisdom avoids comparison, and thus lives in peace.

          I could go on and on and on in this post. Some form of “wisdom” is used 467 times in the Scripture. There is much there for us to avoid and much there for us to incorporate. And as we embrace God’s perspective on our lives and make our choices with His vantage point we will find we walk in paths of peace.  

          Paul told the Colossian church something similar to what Solomon told Rehoboam. Wisdom and peace are connected. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom (Colossians 3.15-16).

          Do you want peace? Do you need peace? Are you desperate for it? Choose the wisdom of God and live by it. I promise you peace will come.