4. How to Recognize a Person of Peace

A Person of Peace is someone who welcomes the God-given peace you carry as a follower of Jesus. They are not yet committed to Christ, but something in them responds positively to the presence of Jesus in you, and they seem genuinely open to the gospel.

This word peace means far more than the absence of conflict. In the Greek of the New Testament, the word for peace is eirene, which means "the way that leads to wholeness in God" and implies coming to salvation. It dovetails nicely with the Old Testament Hebrew word shalom, which is about things being made whole and brought back to their created intent.

Thus spiritually, God’s supernatural peace is complete reconciliation with the Father through Jesus’ work on the cross. The root verb for eirene means "to join," so when we put this all together we see that a Person of Peace is open to joining the way of Jesus that leads to peace, wholeness, salvation, and relational harmony.

When you carry that sort of peace, people who are hungry for God will notice something different about you!

So how do we know if a lost person in our life is a Person of Peace?

Your Person of Peace will normally be someone who genuinely likes you, and you like them too. This isn't about gritting your teeth and laboring through mind-numbingly awful relationships! God often connects us with people we naturally enjoy being around.

In Luke 10, Jesus unpacks this in detail:

First, in verses 5 and 8a, they welcome you. A Person of Peace is someone who makes time for you and lets you into their lives. There’s relational warmth, and it’s easy to spend time in each other’s company, even if some of their language, attitudes, or lifestyles are far from Christlike. This isn’t about you compromising your values, but instead it’s them appreciating the godliness that you bring, and you having love and compassion for them in all their brokenness.

Second, in verse 6, they receive Jesus in you. They’re intrigued by the naturally supernatural peace that you carry. You might notice that they ask deeper questions and express openness when you share something spiritual, leaning in rather than pulling away in those moments. Basically, they like that you’re spiritual, even if they’re not there yet themselves. This is the distinguishing feature: does the person just like you, or do they like the spiritual part about you?

Third, in verse 7a, they often serve or help you in return. They offer something back. Maybe it’s a meal, their time, or they help you out with something. It’s a two-way relationship - you’re not the only one giving.

Tax collector (and thus social outcast) Matthew modeled this aspect of Person of Peace behavior: “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples" (Matthew 9:10, NIV).

In verse 9b, they let you invest in them spiritually. You share some of your faith and what Jesus means to you, and they recognize and receive the spiritual depth that you bring. Often this will have an overtly natural supernatural aspect at play, since it’s not all about your clever answers! What they need is an encounter with the living God.

Finally, a Person of Peace will be a gatekeeper to their network of relationships. We see that at work in the many examples seen in the Gospels and Acts, such as Cornelius’ network (Acts 10) or Lydia’s household (Acts 16).

Your Next Steps

1. Think back on recent interactions with those around you. Who has shown openness to your faith or curiosity about your life with Jesus? How did they show this?
2. Who among your lost friends and acquaintances seems to welcome your presence, not just socially but also spiritually?
3. Can you think back on a time when a lost friend served you? Is there someone similar in your life today who is trying to do that?

Prayer

Holy Spirit, help me recognize the people You are already working with. Give me spiritual discernment to see who around me likes me, is spiritually open to how I live out my faith in You, wants to serve me, will be open to me investing in them spiritually, and who will open up their relational network to the gospel. As I see them, give me boldness, endurance, and focus to stay and invest with love. Amen.