Don't you just "hate" it when God is trying to get something across to you and everywhere you go, you're getting the same message. Yeah, me too. Right now God's been teaching me that we are not our own, we are dependent on God. We must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow. I'm learning that taking up our cross does not mean dealing with those annoying people in our lives and being long-suffering. It means revealing our sinful selves, giving away our pride and selfishness and being kind and gracious instead. Man, that's tough! Being sanctified is not always easy, but it does have a sense of satisfaction that I am growing more like Christ. Which, of course, is the ultimate goal.
Now you may be wondering what all this has to do with forgiveness and peacemaking. Obviously, when people hurt us, we are called to forgive. Forgiveness is also tough, but we are called to do so because otherwise it will eat us on the inside. On the flip side, once we forgive them we have to be peacemakers as well. Sometimes I don't want to do the right thing, but I know this is what is expected of me as a believer. I teach this concept to my first graders and they really struggle with this. Why should they be nice back to someone who has been mean to them? As the teacher, their "petty" little quarrels seem so easy to overlook, but I bet God sees the same with our disagreements. So this week, let's work on giving away our pride and being gracious and kind instead. I shall leave you with the young peacemaker poem and a verse:
Good thought, hurt you not, gossip never, friends forever
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Mark 8:34
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