Thinking Like A Peacemaker

It’s a lovely moment when we can step outside and take in a breath of fresh air.  A little look at flowers and new green on the trees and peace wafts into our soul, doesn’t it?

Jesus’ instruction today about the kind of attitude we are to have will bring that same freshness to our hearts.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:9

God invites us to joy and peace, to forgiveness and a loving relationship.  Have we allowed ourselves to be loved and encouraged by the living God today?  If we have failed to spend time with God we could be setting ourselves up for failure by not allowing Him to fill us up with peace and the strength that is necessary to properly face the day’s challenges. 

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 

Hebrews 12:14

Learning how to let go of our self-centered ways and coming into a lifestyle of making peace with God and others involves work, and sometimes hard work.

No matter how old we are we all have things to unlearn from our history and our default responses to what’s gone on.  There are new ways, better ways to live that God is seeking to show us today. 

As with any new activity, it can be tiring to do things in a new way and at first the "muscles of our soul" often feel painful rather than peaceful. However, this pain signals growth rather than trouble to avoid.

Thank You God for providing everything we need to relate to and be at peace with people who are less than perfect.  You want to honour us and to have us honour others.  You want to fill us with goodness, remove the poison of evil from us, and give us great joy in our relationship with You. 

So help us today, to tap into the strength of Your unfailing love, and then do the hard work of interacting peacefully with others who, like us, are flawed.  We choose to rely on your promise that today we can live in peace as we pursue a life that honours you and others.  Amen

God blesses those who work for peace.  We all want to live in God’s blessing so let’s give ourselves to working for peace today.  Have a great day.