Peacemaker mindset
Have you ever had a fall out or a misunderstanding with close friends, a coworker, a family member or a sister/brother in Christ? Does it make you feel like your life is falling apart? Maybe you regret how you handled the conflict. Maybe your sad because you think they are ignoring you, maybe they are because you may have hurt them? Whatever the case may be, you just want everything to be normal again! Well, dear reader I can totally relate and maybe more than once! So please allow me to share a few things that I have learned.
God above all!
When I feel that my life has been so impacted by such a relationship, I am learning to get alone with God first and foremost, because more than likely if we’ve allowed a circumstance such as this to move us, then we’ve taken our eyes off our firm foundation!
Prayer
The picture above is my solitary place, this is where I like to get alone with Jesus! It is only then when I spend time with Him that I can reflect and realize my need for repentance.
Examine Self
I find myself asking for His forgiveness for putting any relationship before Him. You see, even though we have already been forgiven, we are still here in the flesh and our flesh wars against our spirit. We are in such a fallen state until, Jesus comes back for us and makes us perfect. We can hinder our relationship with the Lord if we allow our flesh to take over. So seek peace with all, forgive and ask for forgiveness when necessary.
Forgiveness
I’m not saying to ask for salvational forgiveness, over and over because Jesus died once and for all. What I am saying is, relationally, we can hinder our relationship with God. We tend to distance ourselves from God, when we allow these things to take root in our heart. Haven’t you experienced this? We start ignoring His soft still voice, which says to humble ourselves, to consider others, to love and pray for those that hurt us and then what happens? You are not walking by the Spirit but by your flesh and you allow bitterness to take root, you start thinking bad of those who hurt you and you no longer hear His soft still voice because we have chosen not to. Nothing could ever separate us from His love, but as we continue to take our eyes off of God, and as we cater to our flesh, we tend to not hear Him as clearly. We ignore the things He so lovingly calls us to do, which is to love Him with all of our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbor. God tells us in the book of Mark something very important to remember about forgiveness and prayer:
Mark 11:25 – “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:26 – “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Oh that we would hide this in our heart!
When I have spent time with God and His word, I often ask Him what He wants me to learn through each trial.
Peace
Continue to spend time with Him, by praying and sitting at His feet and examining yourself. Whatever He says, be obedient by doing it and it will go well with you.
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
I remember one morning, hearing His soft still voice saying to me, yield to the weaker. Sometimes God reveals things to us and we want to share it with others but sometimes He just wants you to sit still and take it all in giving Him the glory but often times we don’t. Instead we run and tell everybody that will listen and then we are disappointed because they didn’t respond the way we thought they should have.
Patience
We forget that God chooses whom He chooses to reveal things to. We all have our own unique walk with God. Isn’t that amazing? We all have different gifts and we are all constantly growing. None of us have mastered anything. We will continue to be worked on, He isn’t finished with us yet!
Show Grace
When God has not shown something to someone else, don’t judge. Remember where you were at before you came to know that one thing. When the Holy Spirit helps us to understand something so wonderful and good, walk it out, live it and shine. If someone else believes differently, be patient. Let God be true and every man a liar. Be patient because God may be trying to show you something, perhaps you need to grow in this very area. Don’t allow disagreements to cause separation, consider that the other person may have a valid reason for what they believe and yes agreeably so do you. Be gracious.
God is so merciful and gracious and He meets us right where we are at. Sometimes it looks differently but He is on the throne and He is good.
Encouragement
I needed this reminder, I needed to examine myself. As I went before God and realized I was a little off track in this area, I was heartbroken, but it was there in His presence that I was able to see the heart of God.
Isaiah 55:9 – “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
What God is saying to you right now, may not be the right now for someone else. Don’t be to hard on yourselves but ask God how He would like you to respond or not respond.
God please help us to only say and do the things You are calling us to do and that you would especially help us to do them in love. Father we ask that you would help us to be sure of our calling and to examine ourselves daily. We thank you for your love grace and peace. Amen!
