Living At Peace When All Around You Are On Edge

"Today's Devotion" For April 13, 2007

Read: I Thessalonians.4:1-12; Romans 12:9-21

LIVING AT PEACE WHEN ALL AROUND YOU ARE ON EDGE

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

Is it possible for us to live in a world without conflict? Probably not. Human beings being who and what they are, the likelihood of a world without conflict isn't too likely this side of heaven. We don't have to look too far to see conflict at work. In the past two weeks a prominent radio broadcaster, known for his "shock jock" style has come under the gun for making a remark that called into question the virtue of a group of young women. Interestingly enough, those who have been asking for his head (which incidentally, they got; the broadcaster was fired) have been known to be less than stellar in their treatment of the women in their lives. The one thing that seems to stand out in all of this, from my perspective, is that no matter how often and how much the broadcaster apologizes for his words, no one seems to be willing to forgive him. In fact, public pronouncements discount his apologies as "too little, too late."

We live in a conflicted world. We see behavior in others we don't like and are quick to point it out, while at the same time ignoring our own shortcomings, often in the same areas as those at whom we're pointing our fingers. Rather than seeking to find a solution and a way to bring people together, it seems we're more disposed to putting the other person down, getting in their face, seeking their demise, and gaining the upper hand. This is conflict at its worst. It's neither constructive or helpful because it only serves to exacerbate the problem.

For those who follow Christ Jesus, who are God's children through faith in Christ and have been washed in the waters of Holy Baptism and declared holy and righteous before God, living at peace has a whole different meaning. When we deal with others and face the conflicts that often occur in daily living, we do so with the knowledge that God, for Christ's sake, has forgiveness us all our sins. We know that Jesus suffered and died on the Cross to pay the full penalty for Sin that is required by God's perfect justice, so that all who believe in Him might know God's forgiveness. We live with the sure and certain assurance that God raised Him from the dead - that He has overcome death - and thereby declared our Lord's sacrifice a complete and full pardon for all who believe in Him. God has established His peace with us. He offers it to all humanity. We who believe in Him are His ambassadors of that peace and show that peace in our lives. Because we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are empowered by God's Word and Spirit to share that peace with others. As our lives touch and are touched by the lives of others, we have the opportunity to show them God's peace through our words and deeds. Our lives become instruments of God's peace, and, with God's help, no matter the challenges we face and the conflicts we endure, we endeavor to live at peace with everyone.

Yes, it's true that the world can be a most disagreeable place to live. It's also true that God calls us to be "seasoning" for the earth - Jesus calls us the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:11) - because, through our witness and living for Christ, we bring God's peace to bear in the lives of others. While everyone around us is running around, constantly on edge, wondering what everyone else is thinking about them or seeking to do to them, we live with the calm and certain assurance that nothing and no one can separate us from God's love and forgiveness in Christ. Thus, as St. Paul urges us, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18). We can't control what others do or how they want to live, but we do have something to say about how we deal with others for we have been freed from the power of sin which seeks to put barriers between us and others. In Christ, we have God's peace; through Him we share it with others. And, no matter how bad things get, we know for certain that God's peace in Christ is ours.

Prayer: Father, the world is a pretty frenetic place. It's a place in which people are constantly at odds with one another. Often just a little word, a glance, or a body motion sets off a firestorm of anger, violence, and conflict. All too often, I, too, get caught up in the firestorm of conflicts that permeate daily life - much less abound on a grander scale. In those times, Father, I need Your gracious presence and the power of Your Word and Spirit to remind me that I am forgiven in Christ and Your peace rests upon me. In those times, Father, I need Your forgiving love to so fill me that I reflect Your peace to others, and, as the Holy Spirit tells me through St. Paul, as far as it depends on me to live at peace with others. Help me, Father, to truly live in Your peace and share that peace with others, no matter how difficult the circumstances. Guide me to look to You for strength and calm even when all "hell" breaks loose, so that I might be a true ambassador of Your peace and a witness for Christ. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright © 2007 by Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.