Serenity Saturday Seeking Peace
Saturday June 18, 2016
God’s will for men and women is to live at peace with one another. We are told to love each other; to be of one mind and purpose; to be humble; to think of others as better than ourselves. How can we do this when individuals around us act in ugly self-centered ways?
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29:11 NIV)
Both in addiction and now in recovery, our lives have been impacted by people who were just having a bad moment, a bad day, or just wanted to be in a bad mood. We suffered physically and emotionally because of their mood swings. Is it really possible to be at peace with them? God is faithful! His word and His promise of peace will bring encouragement to us even when mean people are the cause of impediments in our lives.
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10 NIV)
Sometimes we find ourselves in conversation when a remark is made that “pushes our button”. The next thing we know, there is a stream of bitter words flowing from somewhere inside of us. The volume of our voice increases, or we go silent and distance ourselves a bit, because we feel outraged by the implication of the words that were said. The other person may or may not have any idea of what triggered the reaction.
When something like this happens we need to consider the cause of the backlash. We are obviously not at peace with something inside us and whatever the cause may be, it needs to be brought to the light so that it may be healed.
Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. (Hebrews 12:14-15 MSG)
Today, as much as it lies within us, let’s choose to be people of peace in all our relationships.
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