There always have been wars and conflicts in the world, ever since Cain—one of the sons of Adam and Eve in the Bible—killed his brother, Abel (see Genesis 4:1-16). And the Bible indicates they will continue right up until the day Jesus Christ comes again to bring about “a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

Why is this? What is the problem? The basic problem isn’t economic, political or social in nature. Those things may contribute to wars and conflicts and make them worse—but they aren’t the real cause. The real cause of our conflicts is within ourselves—within our own hearts and minds.

If our hearts weren’t filled with greed and anger and lust and selfishness, our conflicts would vanish and our wars would cease. But they are filled with these evils—and the inevitable result is conflict. Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19).

This is why we need Christ, for only He can forgive us of our sins and change us from within. And He will, as we open our hearts and lives to Him and let Him replace these evil things with His love and joy. If you have never done so, open your heart to Christ today. Then ask God to help you bring peace to those around you and to our world, by pointing them to Jesus Christ.