The Narrow Path to Peace with God in a Peace-Starved World
- Jack Selcher
- Jan 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
Summary
Global surveys show deep divisions in happiness and inner peace, yet emotional well-being often depends on circumstances. Many experience counterfeit peace while lacking peace with God. Scripture teaches that true peace comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, who paid sin’s penalty on the cross. By repenting, trusting Christ, and surrendering our lives to Him, we find lasting peace with God, the peace that truly matters.
A World Divided by Happiness and Unhappiness
Gallup surveys reveal growing unhappiness in the world. The happiest 20 percent of those surveyed have never been happier, while the unhappiest 20 percent have never been unhappier.
The happiest 20 percent “are fulfilled by their work, have little financial stress, live in great communities, have good physical health, and have loved ones they can turn to for help.” The unhappiest 20 percent have little if any of the five.1
Inner Peace Tied to Circumstances
As part of their happiness survey, Gallup discovered that 61 percent of people always or often feel inner peace during difficult times.2 This inner peace is connected with their temporal well-being measured by the five factors above.
Peace-Starved Nations Reveal a Deeper Need
Gallup also surveyed the percentage of people at peace with their thoughts and feelings. In Malawi, 59 percent were rarely or never at peace, making it the third most peace-starved country in the world.
On average, 34 percent of those surveyed said they were always at peace with their thoughts and feelings. It was 28 percent in the U.S. and 73 percent in Nicaragua.3
Counterfeit Peace Versus Peace With God
Many of the happiest 20 percent of the world’s population, always at peace with their thoughts and feelings, do not have the unique peace Jesus offers. Theirs is a counterfeit peace. Most of the Jews of Jesus’ day did not understand peace with God, the kind that matters most.
As Jesus was entering Jerusalem less than a week before His death, most of the Jews did not recognize He was the way to peace. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42 NLT).
Jesus as the Only Way to Lasting Peace
Only Christians can experience peace with God. In mid-2024, Statista reported that 31.6 percent of the world professed Christianity.4 A smaller percent than that has experienced peace with God because many are Christian in name only and not fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. So, what is the way to peace?
“This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36 NLT). “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT).
Unlike most first-century Jews, we must recognize our need for Jesus. We are sinners with a penalty to pay. Jesus died on the cross to pay for it (Romans 5:8).
The Narrow Path to Peace with God
We must repent by turning from living for ourselves to living for God. We must invite Jesus into our lives by faith to be our Forgiver and Leader and give Him the driver’s seat of our lives.
He promised He would come into our lives if we invited Him. We take Him at His word. That is the narrow path to peace with God.
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