You cannot buy peace just by saying “yes” to something.

Moms know a lot about this. We think it would just be easier to say yes even though we know we’re setting a precedent we really don’t want to deal with in the future, but that short term peace is so appealing. We give in.

It’s not just about the yeses we say to others. It’s also about the yeses we say to ourselves. But finding peace isn’t about the path of least resistance. It’s not about avoidance.

Finding peace often requires wrestling through conflict in order to reach a yes, a contentment with the decision. As we struggle to sort out what we should say yes to and what we should say no to, we grab hold of what’s most important and release the unnecessary. We pursue clarity of purpose.

So, pay attention to how you’re responding today, not just with your words but also with your attitudes, responses, thought trails, and more. Pause to wrestle with something as it rises to the surface, but refuse to wrestle with anything that spins your wheels and gets you more deeply stuck in a rut. Wrestle in order to grow. Take a step. Be bold. Persevere toward peace: God’s peace. Because His peace is worth the cost of the struggle.