Peace is not a common commodity in our world today. There are conflicts between countries, in business, in families, and in our workplaces.
When I think of a picture of peace, I remember the lake at the camp I spent a number of summers at. It was a fairly large lake, so it was a rare morning where the lake was completely calm. Yet once in awhile, the winds died down completely and turned the surface of the lake into a sheet of glace. Not a ripple to ruin the effect.
It’s a rare day when the wind isn’t blowing in our lives. It’s not easy to experience complete peace.
As a Christian leader who wants to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, we do want to bear the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5: 22 . We want peace.
Yes, we want peace in our workplace. I’m primarily thinking of peace as the absence of conflict in the workplace. We want peace on our teams as they work together. We recognize the need to not let conflict simmer but to address it and work through it before it boils over.
Peace takes constant monitoring of the situations we are in. It takes discernment to know when something is eating away at peace and needs to be resolved. But if you are a leader who desires a peaceful workplace you will need to ensure you are at peace inside first.
Peace begins inside you – if you don’t have peace, you will have a hard time being peaceful in your relationships. Peace begins with a relationship with the Prince of Peace. We want Jesus to continue to help shape us to become like Himself. And we invite the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to make us more Christ-like. We need to pray that God will help us forgive others and not continue to carry personal hurts. We need God to fill us with His peace. Knowing that we are right with our creator, the God of the Universe, is a great place to start with peace.
To live out peace as a leader, we need to be at peace with our relationships at home. If we are in conflict in one area of our life, it is bound to create cracks in our peace with others. We cannot separate our private life from our public life. Keep short accounts at home before you even step into your leadership role. Peace is evident in harmonious relationships.
It is in the heat of the moment that what is inside comes out. When that mistake is made, or someone falls short of your expectations – what is your first response? If it is anger and shouting and judgement – you may need to work on peace in yourself first. Peace begins in us.
Peace has to be worked for. There are times when our Canadian troops have been sent into countries where there has been conflict, and they are called Peacekeepers. Jesus asks us to be peacemakers and says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) As Christian leaders, we need to be people of peace. This spiritual fruit should be produced continually in our lives in our relationships and in our leadership.
Peace may cost us something. There may be times where we need to apologize and make things right. There may be times where we will need to address issues with those on our team that won’t make us popular. Peace means addressing the issues that are causing conflict. Those in conflict may not always want to resolve that conflict. As leaders, we can ask God to give us great wisdom in how we lead through conflict and bring peace.
But let’s remember, peace, as a spiritual fruit, can only be produced in our lives as we continually are at peace with our God. If this is fruit of the Spirit, then we need to surrender to the Spirit’s work in our lives. And then we will bear the fruit of peace.
May you experience peace and excel at peacemaking!
Keep looking up,
Andy Wiebe
Elevate with Andy 