Tonight I'm thinking about living in peace...with everyone. While I think almost all of us would have that as our goal, I'm betting that there are very few of us that can honestly say our lives are 100% at peace with everyone we deal with.
We talked yesterday about the "if possible" and "on your part" caveats included in the verse, but tonight I just want to focus on the situations that are possible, and that may well depend on our part. What is it that is keeping us from being at peace with those that we find ourselves in relationships that are less than harmonious?
I'm thinking about the things that come to my mind that may play a part...
pride, arrogance, insecurity, jealousy, rivalry...
not pretty words, are they?
But how often is it that relationships gone bad, relationships that once were important to us, but now are full of strife and angst, have become that way because of the characteristics mentioned above?
I would ask each of us tonight to examine those relationships that are not at peace in our lives and to ensure that on our part we are doing everything to eliminate on our part any of those negative mindsets. If we take these relationships to God in prayer and ask Him to point out to us where we are failing both the relationship and Him (since He is the one calling us to peaceful living), I firmly believe we will start becoming aware of what it is in us that is causing some of the tension. God is faithful to answer our prayers - we've learned that - and He is ready to show us where our hearts are dark and in need of repair.
Let's take seriously God's call to us to peaceful living. Let's open our hearts to His examination and let's be ready to make some amends where amends need making. We will be empowered to do so by His Spirit living within us - His Spirit of peace.
Psalm 129:33
Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts.
Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
We talked yesterday about the "if possible" and "on your part" caveats included in the verse, but tonight I just want to focus on the situations that are possible, and that may well depend on our part. What is it that is keeping us from being at peace with those that we find ourselves in relationships that are less than harmonious?
I'm thinking about the things that come to my mind that may play a part...
pride, arrogance, insecurity, jealousy, rivalry...
not pretty words, are they?
But how often is it that relationships gone bad, relationships that once were important to us, but now are full of strife and angst, have become that way because of the characteristics mentioned above?
I would ask each of us tonight to examine those relationships that are not at peace in our lives and to ensure that on our part we are doing everything to eliminate on our part any of those negative mindsets. If we take these relationships to God in prayer and ask Him to point out to us where we are failing both the relationship and Him (since He is the one calling us to peaceful living), I firmly believe we will start becoming aware of what it is in us that is causing some of the tension. God is faithful to answer our prayers - we've learned that - and He is ready to show us where our hearts are dark and in need of repair.
Let's take seriously God's call to us to peaceful living. Let's open our hearts to His examination and let's be ready to make some amends where amends need making. We will be empowered to do so by His Spirit living within us - His Spirit of peace.
Psalm 129:33
Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts.
Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
No comments:
Post a Comment