Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 23: PEACE”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Peace takes work…because the Scripture in yesterday’s devotion pointed that out.
Peace takes work…because I must be humble enough to admit my role in the lack of peace.
Peace takes work…because it involves other people.
Perhaps you have felt at times, “Life would be easy, if it weren’t for the people.”
To be honest, I have thought that in ministry. “Ministry would be easy, if it weren’t for the people.”
Because people get in conflict. People break peace with people.
But the easy answer is to separate from the other person. The hard and necessary work is restoring peace with the other person.
It starts with you. (See yesterday’s devotion)
But then we must have “other-awareness.”
To restore peace where it is broken, we must get to a point where we can see how this lack of peace is affecting the other person or people. Perhaps it’s asking questions such as:
- How am I affecting others?
- What do others seem to be feeling?
- What do they seem to need?
- How can I demonstrate genuine love and forgiveness?
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
While one must do some self-reflection, we must not dwell on ourselves. Finally we must be willing to see the situation from the other person’s perspective.
Most important, however, is to have God –awareness.
Every conflict has a spiritual component to it. Remember what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12:
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
So perhaps asking these questions helps to discern the spiritual component of the situation:
- What is God up to?
- Why did he allow this situation?
- Am I acting in faith or unbelief?
- What do I need to repent of?
- What do I need his strength for?
- What would glorify him?
The outcome of the conflict, we don’t always know. But when we take time to reflect personally, put ourselves in the other person’s shoes and allow God’s Spirit to work in our hearts and in the situation, the peace factor certainly increases. And after all this, the situation still doesn’t resolve, perhaps our conscience can rest that, with God’s help, I have done everything that is possible to live at peace.
Apply: Again think of a current or past conflict you encountered. How would you answer the questions listed above? What insights does God bring to your mind as a result? Will it help to restore peace?
Prayer: Lord, work with your power to motivate us to make every effort to live at peace with people. When peace is broken, may we be an instrument of your peace. AMEN.
NOTE: Some of the content in yesterday and today’s devotion comes from a post by Brotherhood Mutual entitled, “Six Tips for Resolving Conflict in the Church” It’s a good read. Link to it HERE.