What if Peace Were Our Boss?
Scripture — Isaiah 60:17 (NRSV)
Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
instead of iron I will bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
instead of stones, iron.
I will appoint Peace as your overseer
and Righteousness as your taskmaster.
Focus
With so much conflict in our world today, so much that is not peaceful and right, we join with the prophet Isaiah and his people in longing for the fullness of peace and righteousness. We work to embody God’s peace and justice in this day, knowing that the fullness of peace lies in the age to come, when God will wipe away every tear and make all things new (Rev 21:4-5).
Devotion
The Israelites knew what it was like to have unjust rulers. Not only had they experienced the oppression of foreign tyrants, but even their own kings had used their authority to take advantage of the people for selfish gain. No doubt the children of Israel ached for rulers who would guide the nation into prosperity once and for all.
Thus, the prophecy of Isaiah 60 came as water to parched souls. In time, the Lord would make peace their overseer and well-being their ruler. Peace (shalom in Hebrew) means more than the absence of conflict. It offers a picture of life as it was meant to be: abundant, productive, restful. Well-being (tzedaqa in Hebrew, often translated as “righteousness”) has to do with all relationships being in sync, just as God intended them to be. True peace necessarily includes the rightness of relationships in families, neighborhoods, houses of worship, businesses, schools, cities, and countries. Peace isn’t just getting along. It’s living with justice and mercy.
With so much conflict in our world today, so much that is not peaceful and right, we join with the prophet Isaiah and his people in longing for the fullness of peace and righteousness. We work to embody God’s peace and justice in this day, knowing that the fullness of peace lies in the age to come, when God will wipe away every tear and make all things new (Rev 21:4-5).
Reflect
What would your life be like if peace were your “boss” and well-being your ruler? How would you act differently in your workplace if this were the case? In your family? In your community?
Act
As you reflect on the questions above, resolve to do something that promotes the peace and well-being of God in your part of the world.
Pray
Gracious God, what a marvelous vision of the world made right! Even today we long for a world in which peace is our overseer and well-being our ruler. May this day come!
In the meanwhile, we thank you, God, that Christ has come to fulfill this vision. Though his work isn’t finished, he has begun to rule with peace and righteousness. May we live under this gracious sovereignty, bringing your peace and well-being to our world. Our colleagues need this. Our customers need it. Our students need it. And so do our families, our community, and our world.
As we pray, we remember places in the world that are anything but peaceful, anything but just. We pray especially for the Middle East and its multiple conflicts. We pray for the war between Ukraine and Russia and the civil war in Sudan. We ask you to bring your peace and righteousness, Lord. And we pray especially for those who are victims of war and injustice in these nations and so many others. May they come to experience your peace.
O Lord, may your kingdom come in all of its fullness. In the meanwhile, may we live each day under your reign of peace and well-being, seeking first your kingdom, righteousness, and justice. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Woven Into God’s Story of Darkness and Light, Part 1.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...