The home as a haven for couples
The family is ideally a place of rest and succor. After facing the challenges of the society as we go about our daily activities, it’s expected that one comes home to peace and tranquility. Where your ruffled ego is calmed, your shaken faith in yourself restored, your depleted vigor energized, your confusion on what is happening to you cleared and your downcast mood lifted.
Peace is very essential to our optimal existence, for it affects both the body and soul. Where peace is lacking the soul is often troubled and if prolonged begins to adversely affect the health of body. Marriage is ordered towards the good of the spouses according to the Code of Canon Law (canon 1055,par,1), therefore spouses should make every effort to live in peace. For families to be at peace, the couples must have established it between themselves.
Hebrew 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with (your spouse) everyone and to be holy, without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one (not even your spouse, emphasis mine) falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile (both of you) many.
Attaining peace
In my country most families store water in big plastic tanks with tap connected below to draw water as the need arises. Where the tank is not filled with water, on turning the tap open no water will flow. Therefore, we need to fill our soul with peace for us to be able to dispense peace. Firstly we must be at peace with God, Col 1;19-20 “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Christ, and through him to reconcile to himself all things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross”. Anytime we approach God asking for forgiveness and cleansing with the blood of Jesus, we are forgiven and have peace with Him. This peace stays in your heart, John 14; 27, and you are able to give it to others as the need arises.
Maintaining peace in you
When a seed is sown and germinates, you nurture and take care of it for proper growth. The peace you have received has to be nurtured too. You must learn to read the word of God so you know what he wants you to and not to do. You need to also learn to trust his word and direction, with that your peace will grow in leaps. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is trusted in You”. As you trust God by living the way He wants you to, your attitude to people and issues will begin to change. You will notice a conscious peaceful disposition to your loved ones and others.
Sharing the peace in you
Jesus assures us in John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me … rivers of living water will flow from within them”. Through your reconciliation with God, His Spirit leads you to maintain an attitude of peace in your marriage. Consider the situation in Luke 9:52-56, where Jesus and his disciples were going to Jerusalem and wanted to pass through a Samaritan town but they were refused. The disciples wanted to confront them, maybe fight to proof they were equal to the task. Therefore, they asked Jesus to allow them call down fire upon them to show those insolent people what they are capable of doing. You see, their approach might fetch them what they wanted but, discord, enmity and even hatred would have been sown. However, Jesus’ approach was to allow ignore the insult and look for another alternative to get to Jerusalem, which is his target.
In your marriage be always aware of what you want to achieve or get from your spouse at each point in time, then work towards it. Do not be misled by any negative vibes from them, concentrate on your good intentions. When they display difficult attitudes ask the Holy Spirit to show you another way to approach the issue for positive results and He will lead you beside still waters (Ps 23:2). Be ready to follow His leading no matter how belittling it might seem to you. Remember He gives perfect peace to those who trust in him, Isaiah 26:3. Alleluia!
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