The Importance of Peace and Political Stability in South Sudan (Part 5)
By David Matiop Gai, Juba South Sudan
February 23, 2018 (SSB) — Hints of peace in a young nation; Job 22:21, says, “Submit to God and be at peace with him, in this way prosperity will come to you”. This root underlying those who live quietly, return to Almighty God and forsake wickedness, then prosperity will come in all types of blessings such as healthy population, healthy environment, secure economy, and nation powerfulness. PS 33:12, says,” Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”.
As South Sudanese, let learn from Israel which is a safe and secure nation under God’s protective rule. Col 3:15, says, “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace “. The attitudes of peace Christ gives in place of attitudes of bitterness and quarrelsomeness. Our nation in attitudes of bitterness and quarrelsomeness but peace attitudes is to rule all human relationships.
We are lacking many things in South Sudan because peace is absent. Our beautiful forests are empty to be using due to war in our country. There are no individuals and government farms. We have different trees that can manufacture and produce medicines, soft drinks, and the war is preventing such a development. Peace is a symbol of physical, spiritual and mental blessings.
There is no other source of peace where people get harmony apart from God whom we shall be blessed. Apostle Paul wrote a letter to Roman that, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. All Christians are set apart to God increasingly through amazing Grace by Holy Spirit. ROM 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone ” Believers are to cultivate peace with everyone.
Conditionally or unconditionally, South Sudanese should cultivate spirit of peace with each other to the extents that depends on true unity of peoples in the country. PS 34:14, says, “turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it”. The Bible we always read, and attending Church services on Sunday is very clear to us about peace. Peace doesn’t comes to people by itself, or bad words and wrong actions don’t bring peace, but there is a condition to turn away from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it.
1Thess 5:13 reads, “Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other”. This verse is not merely personal respect for their high positions, it is an appreciation for their work and leadership period where leader’s works are appreciated but live in peace requires right relationships among leaders and people.
What do we want as South Sudanese? War or peace, poverty or prosperity, what exactly do we want? But in the middle of tough time, a tough time of worries, economic crisis, war and conflicts, fear, hunger, diseases, poor drinking water, high price of goods in the market, poor roads, killings, lack of education for our children, poor health system and facilities, and generally lack of sustainable development in the country.
We have a big chance to ask God for peace and if we ask God for peace, he has peace that passes our merely understanding, and he has to mediate peace that fills our hearts with love of each other. God wants us to have a quiet place, and a peace of mind which is full of life and encouraging us to overcome our differences, and then we will have a nation of free stress, and anxiety.
Isaiah 26:12 Reads, “LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us”. God’s peace overwhelmingly treats other sources of peace advance successfully. Human beings have different perspectives, somebody may think peace with Biblical quotations belongs to Christians or for Christianity but peace is not for Christians alone; this environment is enjoyable by all. In South Sudan, we all need peace regardless of our religious affiliations, tribes, races, ethnicity, colour, heights, and weight, ugly or beautiful.
The only right choice for us, we need peace, a peace we owned. James 3:18 says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” What does this verse teaches us? Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of righteousness, and righteousness before God which means if we promote and achieve peace in our country, it will righteousness before man and we will lack nothing since we have much resources in our country and, each and every south Sudanese will have wealth in the country instead of poverty.
The author is a co-founder of South Sudan Mental Health care Organization, (SSMHCO). He holds Bachelor degree in Social Work and Social Administration from SSCUST, Bachelor of Theology from CLT, Bungoma, Kenya/Kalispell, USA, and a fellow researcher. He can be reach at david.matiopgai@gmail.com.
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