I have learned something that has changed my family. It is simple and profound.
The learning is founded on these 2 concepts:
One: Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6)
Two: I follow Jesus.
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” (My.16:24 ESV)
Note here: Jesus is not the Prince of Conflict. Nor the Prince of Double-Mindedness. Nor Prince of fear.
Here, in the busyness of my day — I can ask myself: Am I following and pursuing peace, or lesser things?
Doing this makes me a wiser decision-maker.
For instance, this helps me to:
– consider if hanging out with the friend with the gossipy-potty mouth will make bring me peace afterwords.
– if saying yes to the 60-hour a week job will create a peace-filled home.
– if debating my husband is increasing peace between us.
The amount or lack of peace in our life often is a good indicator of how we seek and follow Jesus in our lives.
Sometimes, often actually, I have to literally go the other direction from my feelings which seem to scream at me to attend to them. Yet, when I do this, the result is almost always a million times better than the short-term pleasure of reacting. I can benefit in this way, when I take time to consider outcomes.
God is powerful enough to fight my battle!
Do you seek and pursue peace?
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14)
Subscribe for all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.
Join me or share posts from Facebook or Instagram.
You’ve certainly made this very plain and uncluttered, Kelly. What a great sifter of our heart’s motives and our daily actions and decisions!
I need to ask this to myself again and again today as I prioritize what to do and how to think: Am I following and pursuing peace, or lesser things? Thanks, Kelly!
This post brings Romans 14:19 to mind: “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Such a needed guiding principle in today’s world. And I appreciated that you included that that peace involves our denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Jesus. Sometimes we think that everyone doing everything my way will bring me peace, but, no–it’s all of us doing everything His way.
Asking God to make me an instrument of His peace.
[…] Kippi at Home, Create with Joy, Mary Geisen, Sallie Borrink, InstaEncouragments, LouLou Girls, Purposeful Faith, Our Three Peas, Grandma’s Ideas, Worth Beyond Rubies, Soaring with Him, Ridge Haven […]
Thank you so much for sharing this!