Ensuring peace…

The bible says…taste and see the LORD is good! (Ps. 34:8)

So we did…at my brother’s house in the “Neighborhood of Happiness”. My sister-in-law hosts the most amazing Thanksgiving dinner and I am blessed beyond measure by her love and sacrifice!!

As wonderful as the  holidays are, they are also filled with increased demands on our time, budgets and relationships.

I woke up the other day thinking about what Abram said to Lot:

“Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me…” Genesis 13: 5-9

I realized sometimes I need to be intentional. I need to recognize my limitations or the limitations of my family. With wisdom and foresight, I need to plan our commitments. Recognizing in the passage above, peace trumped togetherness. Sometimes, the greater good is found in boundaries.

And then I remembered.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

I also need to recognize sometimes peace will require sacrifice. Sometimes life necessitates that I remain flexible, forbearing and sacrificial.

And sometimes, I just need to be difficult to offend. Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (Psalm 119:165, KJV)

There is a lot of wisdom in those verses. And they demonstrate the tension so often found in the gospel.

The enemy of our soul loves to stir up strife to chip away at our peace. And especially strife among family members and love ones.

Philippians 2 reminds us to be knit together in spirit, have the same love, do nothing out of selfishness or strife and consider others more important than ourselves.

I particularly appreciated the commentary regarding same** love in this passage. I examined the passage in the amplified version and the commentary explains. “The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person…

I am so thankful for the freedom found in the agape explanation of love. Even more important than feeling an emotion of love for those around is me is finding the action of love!!

So, when the devil whispers in your ear that you didn’t feel loving towards a person just remind him, you WERE loving. Even when you did not feel loving, you chose to love by your actions and God was glorified!!

Lord I pray, as I find myself in this holiday season you will fill me with your wisdom and discernment. Teach me when peace requires a boundary. Teach me when and how peace might depend on me in a particular circumstance and give me the strength to do what is necessary to ensure it.  And finally, Lord, remind me that love and peace are demonstrated through actions. Let my choices be submitted to your will and help my emotions to follow suit.