Good morning! Hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend and are up and at ’em on this new Monday!
One of my favorites verses is Romans 12:18 –
“If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.”
When I first read this verse, the words that jumped off the page were: “If,” and “your“. That first word let me know that living at peace with some folks is possible and is not possible with others. The Key Word is the word, “your”. Paul clearly was talking about a characteristic that is conditional….in that, it “partly” depends on the attitude and the responses of others. John Macarthur explains this verse by saying:
Peace is two-way. A peaceful relationship cannot be one-sided. Our responsibility is to make sure that our side of the relationship is right, that our inner desire is genuinely to be at peace with everyone, that includes the meanest and most undeserving. Short of compromising God’s truth and standards, we should be willing to go to great lengths to build peaceful bridges to those who hate us and harm us. We must forsake any grudge or settle bitterness and fully forgive from the heart all who harm us. Having done that, we can seek reconciliation honestly.
So, here is where the rubber meets the wheel…if we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we long to reflect His nature in our life, it boils down to one thing – obeying His Word, or not. Surrendering to His Lordship, or not. You see, being a true follower of Christ means we will have before us forks in the road. I like to call them, “forks in the flesh” where I can choose to either forsake Romans 12:18, or I can follow Romans 12:18. If I truly recognize I am to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no plans to satisfy my fleshly desires, (Ro. 13:14), then … the answer is only one – to follow Romans 12:18, as I follow Jesus.
So, how can this look practically in our lives as homemakers? If we take the first two words of Romans 12:18 “If possible“, we first have to recognize that all our efforts could bring about the result of peace, OR it may not. Let’s go into all our efforts with prayer, asking for Romans 12:18 to be the real reality of the relationship. As John Macarthur said, “peace is two-way,” so while we are in prayer, let’s pray for the person(s) with whom we are desiring peace.
But, if we take the “on your part” to heart, then that means….we get busy! We will do whatever it takes to make sure that our side in all relationships is right…we’ll text, call, write letters, invite, open the door to our homes, etc. When we see the words, “your part,” we must see them as “non-negotiable words” that encourage us to go to great lengths to build peaceful bridges to everyone. Why? Because we love the Lord. And because we love His people that have been created in His image. Period. That’s all the motivation and reason we need to obey Romans 12:18. And for those two reasons, —> we get busy! Gladly! Worshipfully! With elated joy! We get busy!!
So, go ahead … do what you know the Lord is prompting you to do to live in peace with folks and then, after you have done your part, trust it all in His hands. One thing the Lord always reminds me of is this, “Lisa, I know the truth. I see everything. I hear everything. Nothing escapes Me.”
Friend, let’s trust God. He knows the truth. He knows. And since we love Him, let’s follow through with Romans 12:18, and then leave the results to Him.
And just remember….
He rewards those who act on Romans 12:18 with a pure heart.
He rewards those who hang Romans 12:18 on the doorposts of their heart toward everyone.
He rewards those who put on Romans 12:18 with motives that make Him smile.
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.” Romans 13:14
Have a wonderful Monday…and remember, God blesses the peacemaker.
In Love, Grace and Much PEACE,
lisa
