Friday Fight 254: Carriers of Christ in a Chaotic World

Every Friday morning, during my quiet time with the Lord, He faithfully places something on my heart that speaks to the subtle, internal battles many of us face. This is Friday Fight 254.

I was recently talking with a friend about the increase in calendar invites we have received. Family gatherings, milestone celebrations, birthdays, and special occasions are all part of walking through life with our community, but our minds often fixate on the chaos surrounding busyness. Chaos doesn’t plan its arrival with a well-anticipated calendar invite; it erupts suddenly at dinner tables, in group texts, and at staff meetings. It finds its way into hospital rooms, homes, and church offices. Tension thickens, voices rise, and almost instinctively, we plan our exit. But does distancing ourselves in chaos bring peace, or does it simply delay our anxiety?

Carriers of Christ in a Chaotic World

How many times have we been sitting around the dinner table and, instead of asking someone to “pass the butter,” we think to ourselves, “Could somebody pass the peace?” If we could just leave the room, mute the group text, or shut down the conversation, maybe we’ll finally feel peace. Unfortunately, that mindset takes over in these moments. But distance is not peace; it is often delayed anxiety.

When we avoid uncomfortable situations, we may gain temporary relief—but what about our spiritual authority? Jesus never promised us a quiet, easy world; in fact, He said the opposite. Yet in the middle of preparing His disciples for hardship, He made this promise in the Gospel of John 14:27: “Peace, I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Notice, He did not say, “I will remove every conflict.” He said, “I give you, My peace.” Biblical peace is not the absence of noise; it is the calming presence of Christ. So many of us have mastered the avoidance of conflict, but as believers, we are not called to escape routes; we are called to abide. Through salvation, we are united with Christ, and His Spirit dwells within us. That means peace is not something we chase externally but something cultivated internally through prayer, obedience, and trust.

When we remain anchored in Him, we become more than mere carriers of conflict or experts at avoidance; we become carriers of His peace. People are starving for something different. The world is filled with noise, and those around us are not just looking for quiet. They long for wholeness, restoration, and completeness that flows only from God, Jehovah Shalom, our God of peace.

So, what if instead of retreating at the first sign of tension, we paused and prayed with intention? What if we asked the Holy Spirit to steady our tongues before we attempt to steady the room? What does it look like to choose our responses rather than react?

There will always be conflict. Families and friendships will struggle. Offices and churches will strain. Culture will change. But hiding is not holiness.

Peace is Christ in you, meaning chaos does not control your responses. We are not called to simply survive the storm created by conflict; we are called to carry Christ into it and let His presence shift the atmosphere.

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In His Grace,

Pastor Shannon

River Church