Be at peace among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:13)

Peace in the relational sense is the inner tranquility that springs forth from a common source. Differences between us and others tend to produce anxiety and not peace, but great differences tend to produce considerable anxiety.

Most of us tend to be threatened by differences between us and others. We feel insecure because we infer that those differences imply that we’re wrong, inadequate, or a failure. Such insecurities can prompt great divisions, as well as attempts to change others to make them more like us.

But we believers can rest in a peace that the world doesn’t know. This peace comes from the commonality of faith in the One who holds the world and who knows our common human condition. Our common faith, which is grounded in divine acceptance of us despite our imperfections, encourages our acceptance of one another and prepares us to really know one another. This often leads to finding out how much alike we really are despite our differences.

Anxiety or tension over differences pushes many couples apart. We may differ over punctuality, bedtime, exercise, money, and disciplining kids. Underneath of all these differences, however, we share a need for love, attention, and comfort.

We’ve been amazed to find that we each need encouragement when we’re down and support when we’re struggling. The more we’ve recognized how God created us needing a relationship with Him and with one another, the less attention we’ve paid to our differences. When we come to this recognition, peace will begin to replace tension.

It’s a peace that comes in sensing that each of us knows the needs of the other and cares about meeting those needs.

Hoping this devotion will be a blessing to build peace in spite of differences, in our relationship.