One thing I think we’re seeing in today’s culture is the overuse of phrases like, “If it takes your peace, cut it off.”
Now obviously there are unhealthy relationships, abusive situations, and toxic influences that sometimes need to be removed from our lives. But somewhere along the way, we’ve started confusing discomfort with danger.
Not everything that disturbs your peace is sent to harm you. Sometimes it’s sent to grow you.
A good friend may confront you. A spouse may challenge you. A friend, family member may correct you. Another may point out a blind spot. Accountability is rarely comfortable, and repentance isn’t always peaceful. Growth often feels like a friction before it produces fruit.
“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17, NKJV).
Iron sharpening iron is not a peaceful process. There are sparks. There is pressure. There is friction. Yet the result is something stronger and sharper than before.
We have become increasingly focused on self-preservation while neglecting self-examination.
We talk endlessly about boundaries, protecting our peace, and removing people from our lives, yet sometimes the very people we are cutting off are the ones God is using to mature us.
Not everyone who disagrees with you is a narcissist. Not everyone who corrects you is toxic. Not everyone who challenges you is attacking you.
Sometimes they are simply calling you into right order.
The Christian life is not just about protecting our comfort. It is about becoming more like Christ. And often that process comes through people who love us enough to tell us the truth, even when the truth makes us uncomfortable.
There is a difference between someone stealing your peace and someone stretching your maturity. We need the wisdom to know the difference.
