… that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
Summary: Paul’s words summarize the goal of Christianity: the absence of conflict, pain, and suffering.
A chess game is, in a sense, a model of life in miniature. It begins with a field of play, the chessboard, and revolves around a struggle between two opposing forces. The game begins with an “opening,” and continues with most of the action happening in the “middle game.” Finally, after many battles and strategic moves, there are only a few pieces left. If one side can conquer the other side’s king, the struggle is over, and peace is achieved. This is called the “end game.”
For us Christians, Paul has just described the goal of life: “That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
It doesn’t sound complicated or expensive. Why then is this so difficult to achieve?
The answer to that question is the key to everything, and it also happens to be staring us in the face. Paul’s own words stand as a stark testimony to the truth: Peaceful and quiet lives go hand in hand with “godliness and holiness.”
Hmmm …
What does that mean?
To find the answer, we have to look through the instruction manual God has provided for us, the Bible. In English, where the NIV uses the word “godliness,” the original Greek word is “eusébeia.”*This word combines “eu,” meaning “well” or “rightly,” with “sebomai,” meaning “to revere, worship, show devotion.” The intent is more than inner belief. Godliness, in this sense, is living as God wants us to live.
This is where we encounter the struggle. To live as God lives is to love as God loves (1 John 4:8).
The curse of sin is that we want to put ourselves first. That is not how we live a “peaceful and quiet life!” Putting ourselves first is a recipe for conflict.
Paul’s prayer for “kings and all those in authority” actually applies to us, too. Our inner “self” wants to claim authority over our lives. The result of submitting to our own authority is the exact opposite of a “peaceful and quiet life.”
In the chess game of life, our real “opening move” is submitting to Jesus Christ. The “middle game” is learning how to live in submission. The “end game” is what we all want — peaceful and quiet lives.
Application: Live as God would have you live.
Food for Thought: What does a “peaceful and quiet life” look like in real-world terms?
*”G2150 – eusebeia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 19 Mar, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2150/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.
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