I briefly wrote last week about God teaching me about peace. My mind has been captivated by Jesus' words in Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
As I learn more about Jesus and his kingdom I am struck by the tension that always exists. Like the thieves on Jesus' sides, there are always thieves on both sides of the gospel that threaten to rob the gospel of its true meaning. We don't want to live lives of daily dependence and trust in the Holy Spirit. We would much prefer some type of list or formula that pleases God and gets him off our back.
Peace making is one of the most challenging areas in my personal walk. The thieves of peace are false peace (just not addressing the issues that separate us and pretending to get along) and making the opposition personal instead of focusing on the issues that separate us.
To truly seek peace we must address the important issues that stand between us, not for personal revenge or vindication, but for the other person. The battle has to be fought for the person we are opposing. God's word says, "Love always hopes." To love our enemies means to hope for peace and reconciliation. We hope for their best. We make every effort to seek their best.
The only way to live this kind of life is to look at Jesus. Like Jesus, the reconciler of God and man, we must lay down our lives for our enemies. We must remember that Jesus sought us while we were still his enemies. He came to us, told us the truth, confronted us with his truth, and laid down his life for our peace.
There is a day coming when all of the peacemaking will culminate in constant peace. There is a day coming when the promises made by Jesus in Matthew 5 will be fully realized. The meek will inherit the earth, the peacemakers will fully know the benefits of being sons of God. Until that day, there will be a tension. A tension that drives us to our knees in a humble realization of our need for the Savior.
Father, give us the grace for peace. Give us the grace and faith to obey you. When obedience requires confrontation, give us the grace to confront in love and to seek and hope for the best in our enemies. Forgive us when we fail. Thank you for sending Jesus, the Peacemaker, the Son of God, as our Savior. Fill us with your Spirit and teach us to love you and live like citizens of your kingdom. In Jesus Name, Amen.
I don’t want to be right anymore
I don’t want to be good
I don’t want to change your mind
to feel it like I do
I don’t wanna sell graves
peddle them door to door
a little something to ease your mind
and prepare you for what’s in store
[Chorus]
I don’t want to fight
brother I’m not joking about peace
we can have it here tonight
it all comes down to you and me
you never asked me to save anyone
not in whole or in part
like I was some kind of Holy Ghost
come to change their hearts
[Chorus]
you know the tree by the fruit
but just between me and you
I never do what I want
I do what I’m taught
and I’ve been learning a lot
about the violence I’m capable of
so I’m walking away from this
before I hurt someone
‘cause I’m facing enemies
on both sides of the gun
4 comments:
Peace is not the absence of conflict. If that were so, apathy could mistakenly be ccnstrued as peace. There are times when the most loving thing one can do is have the courage to confront wrong, regardless of the unwanted personal consequences it may bring. To do otherwise is putting self above truth. How will people feel toward me if I boldly take a stand?
Finding the balance between loving confrontation and genuine peacemaking is a difficult challenge, as you have described. Some of us are more comfortable with conflict and others of us are more comfortable with false peace. But one is not superior to the other. Whether our motive is to be right or to protect ourselves from unwanted consequences, both are self-serving.
I don't often choose to use the word cult because it's inflammatory. But it is impossible for anyone to know the experience of being delivered from a cult and false doctrine unless you have walked that path. You want others to be set free. You want to see their eyes opened. And you don't want new converts to fall into the deception you've been delivered from. There is plenty of tension to live in.
I have pretty much backed away from this tension, but probably not for all the right reasons. I appreciate your sincerity, Danny, and your willingness to confront yourself with truth, as well as others. If we keep our faith in God and not in ourselves, He will always bring us back to center when we go too far in either direction. As you have told me so many times, we can trust Him and rest.
"There are times when the most loving thing one can do is have the courage to confront wrong, regardless of the unwanted personal consequences it may bring. To do otherwise is putting self above truth. How will people feel toward me if I boldly take a stand?"
I realize the above statement is not your struggle. As you well know, I was describing my own.
Danny-
Do you like Derek Webb?
James
mr. will, i like derek webb.
i almost wrote mr. hitchens, but went with the old standby.
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