Living in Peace
Verse of the Day
“Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”
Today’s Devotional
Today’s verse is another example of an “if, then” verse. If you do this, then this other thing will happen. But here’s the thing, and I don’t intend to disagree with anything written in the Word, but I believe that God is always with me – even when I don’t act right. I believe that because the Bible says in many places that God will never leave me nor forsake me. Perhaps, though, IF we choose to be joyful, grow in maturity, encourage others, and live in harmony, THEN we will FEEL God’s love more powerfully.
Here’s how I wrap my brain around verses like today’s. I think about parenting. I will always love my daughter. No matter what she does, or how she acts. But her behavior determines certain benefits and privileges…or consequences. If she is doing everything in her power to be an active and productive member of our family and society, the benefits and privileges are pretty free flowing. I am less concerned with how she spends her free time, and am more giving financially. I am more likely to do things with her just because she enjoys them (even if I do not). But if she is failing her classes, being disrespectful, not helping around the house…. I don’t love her any less. There will be closer monitoring of how she spends her time, there will be much more accountability with my money (and hers), and there will be less inclination on my part to “play” together. All of those consequences are not because I am mad at her, but because I am wanting what is in her best interests. Life is better when you do what you are supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it and treat people well – including the people in your own home. So hopefully the consequences will teach a much needed lesson.
Back to our verse. I think Paul is telling us that there are certain behaviors that open the floodgates of us FEELING the love and peace that come only from God. God is love, and he will never leave me, but I don’t always feel that love and presence. But if I choose joy, if I am growing in my faith and maturity, if I am an encourager, if I am a promoter of peace, then I believe that I am much more likely to actually feel, see, and experience the nearness of God.
That’s what this verse is telling me today. Take the next right action. Be joyful. Grow my faith. Encourage someone. Seek and promote peace. And God will open the Holy floodgates. Just for good measure, let’s remind ourselves of the lessons of peace from the Word. Maybe this will help us to identify the next right action we each need to take today.
-Through my faith in Jesus, I am at peace with God.
-Choosing God’s will brings peace, even if I don’t understand why.
-God is a God of peace. Where there is confusion or chaos, maybe I have not invited God into that specific situation.
-I need to be rejoicing in God, behaving with gentleness, acknowledging God’s nearness, not worrying, and praying with thanksgiving about everything if I want to experience God’s peace that passes understanding.
-Nothing can separate us from God’s love and covenant of peace with Him.
-Jesus paid an incredible price for us to have peace available to us.
-God’s wisdom is peace loving. We should seek earthly counsel from people who are peace loving.
-God speaks peace to his faithful people, so I need to be faithful and I need to be listening. How else could I hear God speaking peace over me if I’m not listening?
-I need to do what I have learned, received, heard and seen in order to invite God’s peaceful presence into my life.
-I need to seek and pursue peace.
-An accurate perspective can lead to peace.
-God longs to give us peace always, in every situation.
-I must allow the peace of Christ to rule in my heart.
-Pursuing peace might mean removing any and all resentments and bitterness.
-Jesus gives us His peace. I have to choose to accept this gift.
-Allowing the Spirit to control my mind leads to life and peace.
-We reap what we sow.
-When I choose to behave in a way that pleases God, He blesses me with peace.
-Building others up promotes peace.
-The more peace I seek and promote in my life, the more of God’s peace I will notice in my life.
-Allowing God to sanctify my mind, heart and actions will lead to the peace of God in my life.
My prayer is that God will help me to see the right actions for today, and He will give me His power to carry out those actions. That He will help me to behave in a way that promotes His peace in a chaotic world. That I can be an instrument of His peace in the lives of others. That I will fully accept the gift of peace that Jesus offers. That I will receive that gift of peace by keeping my focus on Who God is instead of the chaos that I see in myself and in the world.
For me, I see these reminders of God’s faithfulness as I go back through my journal. I see where God has shown up and taken action, and I see where action was required of me in certain situations. I have written evidence of how my relationship with God is growing and changing. I have proof of situations that had no peace that are now filled with God’s peace.
I encourage you today to look back and see where God has moved and changed you. To look for God’s peace today where there was none before. And if you haven’t started writing yet, today is a great day to start.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What next right action do you need to take today?
How can you spread joy?
How can you grow in maturity and faith?
Who can you encourage?
Where can you seek peace?
Ask God, as you do those things, that you would be able to see and feel HIS love and peace today.