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Seek peace and pursue it.” (1 Peter 3:11)
Why are we to be peacemakers (1 Pet. 3:8-9), working to preserve the unity of the body in the exercise of love? Certainly, it is an aspiration for us by our Lord Jesus as expressed in His high priestly prayer to the Father: “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:22–23).
Jesus cites unity in Him as a testimony to the world of the glory of the gospel and fellowship of love. Peter also speaks of our witness to the world by the workmanship of God’s grace in our individual strivings and within the community of faith. But he adds other benefits to the pursuit of peace.
Let’s put it personally. Do you want to love life and see good days? Do you want to enjoy the blessings of the abundant life that Jesus offers those who follow Him, a blessing that both transcends and transforms your sojourning of suffering in this world?
The key Peter suggests is your communion with God. Earlier in the chapter Peter spoke of husbands honoring their wives so that their prayers might not be hindered (3:7). Now he broadens the purview of prayer when he says: “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil” (3:12).
In 3:10-12 Peter is quoting from Psalm 34 as his justification for our Kingdom calling to life, liberty, and the pursuit of holiness. Not that we earn God’s ear, but that we learn the lesson of our constant dependence on God and certain need to walk in His wisdom rather than what fuels our passions and serves self-interest at the expense of others.
Rather than rebelling against God and cherishing sin in our hearts, we are to embrace the declaration and invitation of the psalmist that promotes the path to peace. “My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psa. 34:2–3).
REFLECTION: God wants the wholeness of our hearts in our dealings with Him and with others.
Unless noted otherwise, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.