Is there such a thing as a recipe or formula for peace? Can I do certain things, behave a certain way, and have peace be the result? Apparently, yes!
This selection of Scripture shares, “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace and ensue it.” (1 Peter 3:10,11) These verses, which offer a list of guidelines, contain several old-fashioned words: guile, eschew, and ensue. Guile means trickery, craft, or deceit. Eschew means to shun, avoid, or go out of the way to leave it alone. Ensue means to pursue, seek eagerly, or endeavor to acquire.
Do I love life? Do I wish to see good days? Do I desire peace? I need to guard my tongue from evil or deceit. I also need to completely turn my back on evil, even if it means going out of my way. By doing this, I will have opportunities to do good. I can then be freed up to ensue, pursue, and eagerly seek to acquire peace. I need to be free from the consequences of evil in order to pursue peace.
Have I cleared my slate? Do I start fresh each day attempting to turn from evil and deceit and turn to good and peace? So, what is the formula for peace? Basically, it’s freeing my life to be capable of pursuing it.
