Making Peace (Friday Devotional)

 

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

- Romans 12:18

Headlines this week have been filled with what the Bible promised we would see repeatedly until the Lord’s return: “wars and rumors of wars.” Rockets have been fired, bombs have been dropped, military bases have been attacked, and now the world holds its breath to see if a fragile ceasefire will hold. Global peace feels like an impossible dream at the moment.

And indeed, in a world rife with division, disagreements, and discord, even interpersonal peace is elusive. “Can’t we all just get along?” is a sentiment most consider naïve rather than desirable. Realists understand that people are too different, too stubborn, and too sinful to ever coexist in perfect harmony.

The truth is, you can’t control how other people deal with you—but you can control how you deal with them. When your spouse is 99% to blame for the argument you had this morning, you can apologize for your 1%. When you and a coworker are butting heads, you can be the one to lay down your sword and pursue reconciliation. When you’ve been wronged, you can forgive unconditionally instead of waiting for the apology and the penance you feel you deserve.

Peace, in other words, is possible on your end—but only if you value it more than pride. It requires the kind of humility Christ exhibited on the cross, the willingness to put others above yourself. It means valuing love more than getting your way.

The world will not know that kind of peace, not fully, until Christ returns. But you, in your little pocket of influence, can give people a preview of the kingdom to come. You can’t fix the world—but in Jesus’ name, you can bring peace to your corner of it.

Such a Time as This (Friday Devotional)

 

“Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

- Esther 4:14

All week long, the church has been abuzz with activity due to one of our biggest events of the year, the weeklong day camp known as Summer Musical Activities for Kids, or S.M.A.K. In addition to the usual features of such a camp—snacks, trips to the swimming pool, etc.—the kids have been learning a biblically based musical, “Malice in the Palace,” which they’ll present to their families and the church on Sunday night at 6:00 pm in our sanctuary (tell your friends!) Through songs and drama, the kids have been learning the story of Esther, the girl who became queen and saved her people.

The turning point of that story comes when Mordecai, Queen Esther’s cousin, comes to her with the news that the evil Haman is plotting to destroy their people. Only Esther, Mordecai explains, has the power to stop the plot through her proximity to the king. In making his plea, Mordecai muses to the new queen, “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

We don’t always understand or even know what God is doing in between the lines of our lives. We wish he’d spell it out for us, that he’d reveal why things are going the way they’re going. We don’t just want to be participants in God’s plans, we want to be the architects of those plans—or at least sneak a peek at the blueprints.

But more often than not, we can only speculate about God’s purposes for us. Like Mordecai, the best we can offer in any moment is ‘perhaps.’

But even when we don’t understand, even when we’re just guessing what the grand plan is, we can be obedient. Esther didn’t know at first why God allowed her to become queen, but she knew she had to make the most of the opportunity. She didn’t know why the responsibility fell to her to save her people, but she knew she needed to be courageous and do what no one else could do.

“For such a time as this” has become a sort of evangelical shibboleth for so-called turning point moments in life, like the one Esther faced. But the truth is, faithfulness to God doesn’t require a dramatic moment of crisis, the kind that a stage play revolves around. Every time is a time to be faithful. And that includes such a time as this.

Fairness vs. Grace (Friday Devotional)

 

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

- Romans 12:17-18

Retaliation is, by its very nature, fair. You hit me, I hit you back. You scream at me, I respond in kind. Everyone is treated the same.

That inherent fairness is probably why nobody has to teach children to retaliate when they’re provoked. When one of my kids yells at their sibling, it becomes a shouting match almost immediately. When somebody gets hit with a toy, it doesn’t take long for them to pick up that toy and strike back. Nobody taught them to respond like this—it’s just what feels right.

But while it may feel that way, I’ve observed something from my parental perspective: the fairness of retaliation leads to twice the tears. Nobody wins in a back-and-forth; everybody loses.

That’s why the gospel points us to a different response in times of conflict: not the fairness of retaliation, but the grace of peace. When believers are wronged, God calls us to look to a broader perspective than the one to which our sinful flesh defaults—instead of thinking about what’s best for you, the Holy Spirit compels you to think about what’s best for everyone.

It’s not an easy thing to turn the other cheek in a world where lashing out is rewarded. But the crucified Christ is our model and the risen Christ is our hope. In a world of anger, escalation, and violence, may Christians be reminded of Jesus’s words: blessed are the peacemakers.

Whistle While You Work? (Friday Devotional)

 

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

- 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

I can’t whistle.

It’s not for lack of trying. In fact, I’ve always been a little embarrassed by it. But no matter how hard I try, all that comes out when I try to make that sharp, distinctive sound is a soft, anticlimactic hiss. There are first graders out there who can whistle, but at age 35, I cannot.

Obviously I wish I could whistle, just like I wish I could drive an 18-wheeler or dunk a basketball. But those aren’t skills I was born with, nor ones I’ve acquired. So I just have to content myself with the things I can do, leaving those abilities for others. After all, I can’t do everything.

We understand that principle at a basic level, but forget it sometimes when it comes to spiritual matters—we want to be able to do everything (or perhaps want certain people to be able to do everything!) But the truth is, God doesn’t set up his church like the Avengers, a small team of superheroes swooping in to save all the ordinary bystanders. Rather, he empowers each believer, ensuring that all of us have a role to play.

You can’t do everything, no matter how much you want to. But you can do your part. And God has given you his Spirit to make sure you have what you need.