April  10

  The Pursuit of Peace

  
    Each day we go about the work of our Lord Master, granted the privilege of living here on this vast mission field, as we make our way steadily toward Zion.  And as we work, we have been given directives by God through His Word.  Here is one of them stated succinctly in Romans 14:19: "So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another."  Here we discover our unambiguous tasking – to pursue the things that make for peace and in so doing, build one another up.

    The pursuit of peace is an active, living deed.  It has feet and arms and hands.  It also has a purpose and a direction.  As so clearly described here, that is to build up one another, never to tear down.  To encourage not discourage.

    When we look at those around us each day, family and friends as well as those who do not tolerate us and strangers whom we do not know personally, we are ever mindful that it is precisely these people that God has assigned to us.  And that assignment from God is for a specific purpose.  Our task is to cultivate the peace of our Lord Master in each of those lives.  We have the clear choice and the power – to tear them down or to build them up.  We may act in peace toward them and use the considerable power we have been granted to make their day, or likewise we can abuse our power and use it to tear them down. 

  God has given us power for a reason, and that is to use peace as an acting, living deed to make lives better.  We are to breathe into them the love and peace of a Holy Spirit who has been sent to them by a loving God – living inside us!  We have two arms and two legs and are equipped with a mouth that smiles and blesses and builds them up in the everlasting bonds of peace.  And that is how we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.