Peace In Our Relationships

God’s will for us is peace in every area of our lives, including in our friendships. When we trust Him in this area, He can give us insight and wisdom we didn’t have before. He’s able to point out how fear, insecurity, self-centeredness, and emotional immaturity can work together to cause arguments and foster resentment. When we don’t understand how to fix the problem, letting God work on our relationships brings us a peace we can’t explain. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
Trying to keep all our relationships moving forward on our own, without God’s help, is risky. Others may be struggling with problems we don’t know about; those issues may affect how they interact with us. We can get our feelings hurt, and misunderstandings can grow and fester. If we’re confused about the direction in which our friendships are going, God’s guidance is a light that shows us what we need to know. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Sometimes we create our own problems when we surround ourselves with friends who have questionable morals and values. Spending time with the wrong kind of people can have a negative influence on us, get us in trouble, and cause us to do things we know are wrong. We’ll never have peace of mind in a situation like this. Thankfully, God can deliver us from it. “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses” (Psalm 107:6).
A relationship characterized by constant drama and tension can make our lives seem like a soap opera. It can cause us to focus on negative emotions instead of the things God wants us to have. When our friendships start to resemble a war zone, we can trust in Him to reverse the damage. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”(Isaiah 26:3).
Peaceful, stress-free friendships are one way God expresses His love for us. If we truly want Him to bless each one, studying and meditating on His Word allows Him to enact the changes we need. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He wants the best for us. Trusting Him to intercede on our behalf always brings improvement.