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 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Do you see a common theme in these three passages?
Here’s what I noticed.
Peace takes effort…a lot of it!
Why is it such hard work?
Remember the definition from Monday’s devotion. Peace isn’t just the cessation of conflict, it is the restoration to wholeness.
Ceasing conflict is perhaps the easy part. Restoring to wholeness is what takes a lot of work.
And honestly, I have to admit, I sometimes just don’t want to do the hard work.
Why?
Because my sinful pride gets in the way leading me to believe a) it’s not my fault and b) it’s not worth the effort.
That’s why it’s so important to remember that every conflict or lack of peace in a Christian or the body of Christ is a spiritual issue.
So what does the hard work look like?
Before I blame someone else or expect someone else to restore peace, I must do two things. First, I must go back to the cross of Jesus and see where he restored peace between me and God. He’s the one who took my sin which broke that peace and carried the wrath and punishment of God for it to the cross. I have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Let this promise sink in first. Why? Because the only way I can work toward peace and live in peace is to draw on the peace God has established through Jesus.
From the foot of Jesus’ cross I can then do the second step. Be self-aware. Self-awareness is allowing God to open up your own heart, emotions, actions before I begin the process toward peace. As we were taught as kids, “It always takes two to tango.” So it will take you to work toward peace.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What’s going on in my own heart?
- What do I need to repent of?
- What am I feeling? Why?
- What role do I have in this conflict? (Even if it’s 1%, it’s something!)
- How am I inclined to respond?
- What will I do instead?
- How would Jesus want me to act/react?
Self-awareness is also hard work. We often find it hard to admit our faults, understand our past, or realize how we get triggered by others. But it’s worth it and its part of “making every effort” to do what leads to peace.
But there is wisdom in allowing God to work on our own hearts first. The Proverbs put it this way:
Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
Let the Spirit of God align our heart with his first…then we will be in better emotional and spiritual space to engage the one with whom we are in conflict. (More on that tomorrow!)
Apply: Think of the last or current conflict you are or were in. How would you answer the questions above?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for restoring peace with me through Jesus. Allow me with your Spirit’s power to draw on that gift to work toward peace with others. AMEN.