Ephesians 4:1-4
As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg
you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be
his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other
and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts
united. Do this by living at peace. All of you are part of the same
body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope
when you were chosen to be God’s people.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
For
almost a year now, our soon-to-be-four-year-old nephew, Nathan, has
spent Mondays and Fridays with us while his parents worked and his older
siblings went to school. We’ve had a lot of fun together…and in the
course of this year, we developed our own little routine. So when
summer break happened, and Timothy and Zola started to come to our house
on Mondays and Fridays along with Nathan, there were some definite
adjustments to be made. Have I mentioned that Nathan really doesn’t
like to share?!
Just yesterday, Nathan would start a puzzle and
insist that Greg or I sat with him…not to help – but to observe. “Just
watch me,” he would say. He knew that if we sat with HIM, we could not
spend time with his sister, Zola. When Zola decided to take a bubble
bath, Nathan said, “Let’s go to your office for some alone time,
Debbie. We need some alone time…right?”
For all of this little
guy’s jealousy, he can also be patient and gentle with his sibs. While
Zola worked a jigsaw puzzle that Nathan had earned for good behavior, he
encouraged her…”You’re doing a good job, Zo!” Often, when I will have
something for one child, he/she will ask, “Do you have something for the
others?” At the end of the day…far beyond typical sibling rivalry…the
hearts of these children are united.
We can learn a LOT from
observing the relationship of three young siblings. We can see their
struggles to have individual thoughts and ideas…to be validated in their
own right. But we can also see how they work out their difficulties
with each other. Often, with very little prodding from adults…they DO
figure it all out and make amends. So why can’t we keep doing that as
we get older?
There is such a divisive spirit in our country
right now. It’s prevalent everywhere you turn – even in our churches.
Everyone wants to be right, as if we are vying for the front-row seat at
the feet of Jesus, and we dare not allow another to get ahead of us in
the “Praise and Recognition Department!” We can never admit lack in any
way. We cannot concede that we might be mistaken – or worse…that the
other guy is right! Apologies and petitions for forgiveness are NOT an
option. Humility is seen as a sign of great weakness.
In the
first four verses of Ephesians 4, we find a wonderful model for how to
conduct our lives as Christians. The very first sentence tells us pretty
much all that we need to know…”live in a way that is worthy of the
people God has chosen to be his own.” A big part of why we act as we do
is our innate desire to be loved and accepted. Let’s get one thing
straight…if you have given your heart to Jesus and claimed Him as your
Savior, you are forever loved and accepted by God Almighty! You don’t
need anything – or anyone – else!
Let’s all agree to spend some
time in prayer – for each other and our world. Let’s ask God to reveal
to us where we are living selfishly…where we refuse to share and to
speak and act with humility and respect for the other person. Let’s
figure out where we fail to acknowledge that God’s love is big enough to
include ANYONE who wants in on it…and ask God to fix this!
There
is nothing with a little “alone time” with God. But when our heart is
not united with the rest of God’s children…when we demand an exclusive
relationship with Him – even at the expense of other people and their
thoughts and feelings…we have missed the mark - and the essence of a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We can turn this around, with
God’s help. But we have to start the ball rolling by doing our part.
I’m in…are you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label making peace with enemies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label making peace with enemies. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 7, 2014
Matthew 18:21-25
At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?”
Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
“The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.
“The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.
“The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’
“The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.
“The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’ The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My mom was telling me about attending a performance of “Jonah” at the Sight & Sound Theater in Branson, Missouri. This larger-than-life theatrical presentation of the story of Jonah is receiving rave reviews from all who see it. Mother described the special effects and the over-the-top scenery. And then she said “At the end when Jonah is so angry because God has forgiven the people of Nineveh - and the fact that his shade tree withered - Jesus appears and tells Jonah that He went to the cross and forgave with love. I loved Jonah’s line: ‘But love is messy! There’s putting up with the failings of others and forgiving and forgiving over and over…’.”
Love IS messy. And forgiveness often requires patience and restraint…and a huge dose of compassion. And all we have to do is look to the cross to see the perfect example of how we should operate. “But if you only knew what he/she did to me!” you may protest. And I do understand. We’ve all been mistreated at one point or another. Granted, some abuses are much worse than others. Evil people do heinous things to one another. But at the end of the day…none of us has been abused like Jesus. Not a single one of us has as much to forgive as He did. And yet, some of His last words on this earth were, “Father, forgive them…” Not only did JESUS forgive those who attacked Him… He asked God to forgive them, also.
Putting up with the failings of others and forgiving – over and over – is hard. It requires not only endurance and tolerance…but also a huge dose of faith and obedience to God. Often, we have to bite our tongue, swallow hard, and say, “LORD, help me…because I cannot do this under my own strength.” God will give you all that you need to show compassion and forgiveness to others. I can’t tell you exactly how or when…but I know that He will.
If God can forgive those who persecuted Jesus… if JESUS can forgive them…can’t we forgive those who come against us? Who do you need to reach out to with the love and compassion of Christ? Isn’t today a good day to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?”
Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
“The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.
“The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.
“The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’
“The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.
“The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’ The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
My mom was telling me about attending a performance of “Jonah” at the Sight & Sound Theater in Branson, Missouri. This larger-than-life theatrical presentation of the story of Jonah is receiving rave reviews from all who see it. Mother described the special effects and the over-the-top scenery. And then she said “At the end when Jonah is so angry because God has forgiven the people of Nineveh - and the fact that his shade tree withered - Jesus appears and tells Jonah that He went to the cross and forgave with love. I loved Jonah’s line: ‘But love is messy! There’s putting up with the failings of others and forgiving and forgiving over and over…’.”
Love IS messy. And forgiveness often requires patience and restraint…and a huge dose of compassion. And all we have to do is look to the cross to see the perfect example of how we should operate. “But if you only knew what he/she did to me!” you may protest. And I do understand. We’ve all been mistreated at one point or another. Granted, some abuses are much worse than others. Evil people do heinous things to one another. But at the end of the day…none of us has been abused like Jesus. Not a single one of us has as much to forgive as He did. And yet, some of His last words on this earth were, “Father, forgive them…” Not only did JESUS forgive those who attacked Him… He asked God to forgive them, also.
Putting up with the failings of others and forgiving – over and over – is hard. It requires not only endurance and tolerance…but also a huge dose of faith and obedience to God. Often, we have to bite our tongue, swallow hard, and say, “LORD, help me…because I cannot do this under my own strength.” God will give you all that you need to show compassion and forgiveness to others. I can’t tell you exactly how or when…but I know that He will.
If God can forgive those who persecuted Jesus… if JESUS can forgive them…can’t we forgive those who come against us? Who do you need to reach out to with the love and compassion of Christ? Isn’t today a good day to begin?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 14, 2013
Proverbs 3:21-26
Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don’t for a minute lose sight of them.
They’ll keep your soul alive and well,
they’ll keep you fit and attractive.
You’ll travel safely,
you’ll neither tire nor trip.
You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Over the weekend, an 89-year-old woman in our county named Annie Jewell Brooks was awakened in the middle of the night by five young men who had broken into her home. The burglars threatened her at gunpoint, tied her up, stole her television, cash, and other items…and tore through her house looking for drugs. They told Mrs. Brooks to wait ten minutes before calling for help, or they would return and harm her. She waited twenty minutes before freeing herself and telephoning her daughter. Understandably shaken, Mrs. Brooks was not physically harmed. As promised in this scripture passage, I like to think that God was right there with Annie Jewell - keeping her safe and sound. I watched television interviews with this woman, and she strikes me as being gritty, determined – and faith-filled. It may be hard for her to get a good night’s sleep for a while, but I have a feeling she will bounce back from this and rest peacefully in the LORD.
On the other hand, several people seem to have totally lost their heads over this situation. The five young people who did this have been apprehended. Three of them are 19 years old… the other two are juveniles. All are charged as adults with Aggravated Residential Burglary, Kidnapping, and two counts of Felony Theft of Property. These young people were apprehended less than 48 hours after the incident occurred, and press releases and news reports alerted the public that they were off the streets. I am thankful that the culprits have been apprehended. They did a terrible thing, and they should be punished for this, according to the law.
Here’s where things take a wrong turn for me… the comments by fellow citizens to online posts from our Sheriff’s Department and local news media are disgusting. They range from suggestions that these young people be choked and smothered or drowned… to public hangings… to proposals that they be tied up and beaten with a baseball bat – and there was more than one volunteer. This truly sickened me. For the life of me, I cannot understand why any human being believes that the beating and/or torture of another living thing would be appropriate… regardless of what he/she did.
When I look at our own nieces, nephews and young friends, I think… “Soon enough, they will be teenagers or young adults. Someday they very well might make mistakes, as we all do.” It breaks my heart to think that someone would wish to beat them or physically harm them in some way as a consequence for their behavior. Surely there can be no peace in such retaliation. Certainly this does not “square” with letting God have control in our lives… and in all circumstances.
I thought about this a lot in the last several hours… and truly, I’ve stopped reading news accounts of this incident and the accompanying comments. But I did consider how God must feel about this. He watched His only Son be beaten and tortured… and ultimately crucified… for something He didn’t even do! And yet, had Jesus been guilty of the most heinous crime imaginable, I cannot imagine His abuse at the hands of those who apprehended Him could have grieved God any more than it did. When will we truly get it that God loves us and does not want us to be harmed in any way?!
There were a few comments from those who suggested that these teens need Jesus. And while I agree with them, I do believe they should also face appropriate consequences for these actions… and I believe they will. In the meantime, I think we should all take a step back and look at our attitudes… our snap judgment and rash (and often harsh) reactions to such things. Were my own mother or mother-in-law held at gunpoint by five people, I would be upset and disheartened – possibly outraged. But I would like to think that I would share my feelings with God and seek His wisdom about how to react… that I would operate with common sense and rational thoughts… and that I would find peace in allowing Him to control the outcome.
I am praying for the people involved in this incident. I am also praying for those who would rush to judgment – and action… that they would find the love of Christ as they process this situation in their own minds and hearts…and that they would ask themselves, “What would Jesus do?” When we lose sight of the Clear Thinking and Common Sense that God gives us, we grow weary and lose heart… and peace. Those who trust God and allow Him to work in and through them - in all circumstances - can sleep like babies. How will you sleep tonight?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don’t for a minute lose sight of them.
They’ll keep your soul alive and well,
they’ll keep you fit and attractive.
You’ll travel safely,
you’ll neither tire nor trip.
You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Over the weekend, an 89-year-old woman in our county named Annie Jewell Brooks was awakened in the middle of the night by five young men who had broken into her home. The burglars threatened her at gunpoint, tied her up, stole her television, cash, and other items…and tore through her house looking for drugs. They told Mrs. Brooks to wait ten minutes before calling for help, or they would return and harm her. She waited twenty minutes before freeing herself and telephoning her daughter. Understandably shaken, Mrs. Brooks was not physically harmed. As promised in this scripture passage, I like to think that God was right there with Annie Jewell - keeping her safe and sound. I watched television interviews with this woman, and she strikes me as being gritty, determined – and faith-filled. It may be hard for her to get a good night’s sleep for a while, but I have a feeling she will bounce back from this and rest peacefully in the LORD.
On the other hand, several people seem to have totally lost their heads over this situation. The five young people who did this have been apprehended. Three of them are 19 years old… the other two are juveniles. All are charged as adults with Aggravated Residential Burglary, Kidnapping, and two counts of Felony Theft of Property. These young people were apprehended less than 48 hours after the incident occurred, and press releases and news reports alerted the public that they were off the streets. I am thankful that the culprits have been apprehended. They did a terrible thing, and they should be punished for this, according to the law.
Here’s where things take a wrong turn for me… the comments by fellow citizens to online posts from our Sheriff’s Department and local news media are disgusting. They range from suggestions that these young people be choked and smothered or drowned… to public hangings… to proposals that they be tied up and beaten with a baseball bat – and there was more than one volunteer. This truly sickened me. For the life of me, I cannot understand why any human being believes that the beating and/or torture of another living thing would be appropriate… regardless of what he/she did.
When I look at our own nieces, nephews and young friends, I think… “Soon enough, they will be teenagers or young adults. Someday they very well might make mistakes, as we all do.” It breaks my heart to think that someone would wish to beat them or physically harm them in some way as a consequence for their behavior. Surely there can be no peace in such retaliation. Certainly this does not “square” with letting God have control in our lives… and in all circumstances.
I thought about this a lot in the last several hours… and truly, I’ve stopped reading news accounts of this incident and the accompanying comments. But I did consider how God must feel about this. He watched His only Son be beaten and tortured… and ultimately crucified… for something He didn’t even do! And yet, had Jesus been guilty of the most heinous crime imaginable, I cannot imagine His abuse at the hands of those who apprehended Him could have grieved God any more than it did. When will we truly get it that God loves us and does not want us to be harmed in any way?!
There were a few comments from those who suggested that these teens need Jesus. And while I agree with them, I do believe they should also face appropriate consequences for these actions… and I believe they will. In the meantime, I think we should all take a step back and look at our attitudes… our snap judgment and rash (and often harsh) reactions to such things. Were my own mother or mother-in-law held at gunpoint by five people, I would be upset and disheartened – possibly outraged. But I would like to think that I would share my feelings with God and seek His wisdom about how to react… that I would operate with common sense and rational thoughts… and that I would find peace in allowing Him to control the outcome.
I am praying for the people involved in this incident. I am also praying for those who would rush to judgment – and action… that they would find the love of Christ as they process this situation in their own minds and hearts…and that they would ask themselves, “What would Jesus do?” When we lose sight of the Clear Thinking and Common Sense that God gives us, we grow weary and lose heart… and peace. Those who trust God and allow Him to work in and through them - in all circumstances - can sleep like babies. How will you sleep tonight?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for August 9, 2013
Proverbs 16:7
When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Sometimes, you have to be the bigger person. I know people who have not spoken to each other in years… and neither one will budge. Honestly, they probably couldn’t even tell you at this point how the stand-off started! And maybe there is someone who refuses to acknowledge or speak to you this very day. What are you doing about it? How are you reacting? Your answers can make all the difference!
Do you believe that God has the power to turn disagreements around… to create friendships among “enemies”? Do you trust God to bring you peace in all situations… even those where the disdain from another is palpable? In this verse from Proverbs, we hear God telling us that those who please Him will find peace… even among their enemies. In other words, those who stay faithful and live a life that pleases God have no reason to feel unsettled. God can turn things around… He can supply peace where none seems possible.
Does this mean that every person with whom you disagree will someday come to you and say, “I’m sorry…I want to be your friend again.”? Will your obedience and faithfulness guarantee that all discord will ultimately be resolved, and everyone will live happily ever after? Not in the way you might think! I do not believe that God promises us that everyone will like us, agree with us, and want to make up and be the best of friends. I don’t believe that He will mend every relationship in the way we may anticipate or desire.
When we serve the Lord and do everything we possibly can to please Him, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God will give us His peace. We will have comfort and confidence in knowing that we did the right thing… that we focused on our relationship with Jesus and kept the Holy Spirit in our hearts… that we listened to His voice and shared His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and compassion with everyone we encountered. Whether the other person chooses to reciprocate is up to him/her… but either way, God will fill us with His peace – and it will be more than enough.
So the question becomes this… “What are you doing on your end?” How are you conducting your life...WHO are you serving and trusting? Are you counting on God to meet your needs and handle your worries and cares while you go about the business of serving Him and following His commandments? Or are you “stirring the pot” in relationships that are less than perfect… then wringing your hands and wondering why things never seem to improve? God’s peace is so near… all you have to do is reach out to Him and surrender your own selfish will. When people’s lives please the LORD, He makes sure that they have peace in all things. Do you have His peace today? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Sometimes, you have to be the bigger person. I know people who have not spoken to each other in years… and neither one will budge. Honestly, they probably couldn’t even tell you at this point how the stand-off started! And maybe there is someone who refuses to acknowledge or speak to you this very day. What are you doing about it? How are you reacting? Your answers can make all the difference!
Do you believe that God has the power to turn disagreements around… to create friendships among “enemies”? Do you trust God to bring you peace in all situations… even those where the disdain from another is palpable? In this verse from Proverbs, we hear God telling us that those who please Him will find peace… even among their enemies. In other words, those who stay faithful and live a life that pleases God have no reason to feel unsettled. God can turn things around… He can supply peace where none seems possible.
Does this mean that every person with whom you disagree will someday come to you and say, “I’m sorry…I want to be your friend again.”? Will your obedience and faithfulness guarantee that all discord will ultimately be resolved, and everyone will live happily ever after? Not in the way you might think! I do not believe that God promises us that everyone will like us, agree with us, and want to make up and be the best of friends. I don’t believe that He will mend every relationship in the way we may anticipate or desire.
When we serve the Lord and do everything we possibly can to please Him, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God will give us His peace. We will have comfort and confidence in knowing that we did the right thing… that we focused on our relationship with Jesus and kept the Holy Spirit in our hearts… that we listened to His voice and shared His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and compassion with everyone we encountered. Whether the other person chooses to reciprocate is up to him/her… but either way, God will fill us with His peace – and it will be more than enough.
So the question becomes this… “What are you doing on your end?” How are you conducting your life...WHO are you serving and trusting? Are you counting on God to meet your needs and handle your worries and cares while you go about the business of serving Him and following His commandments? Or are you “stirring the pot” in relationships that are less than perfect… then wringing your hands and wondering why things never seem to improve? God’s peace is so near… all you have to do is reach out to Him and surrender your own selfish will. When people’s lives please the LORD, He makes sure that they have peace in all things. Do you have His peace today? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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