When walls are built up inside families or between the brethren, it separates the members and causes anger and hostility to grow. Peace is stolen and love is quenched, and all because of a conflict that has pre-eminence over our love and obedience to God. So much is lost when we allow conflicts to separate us.

Many children grow up in a home filled with love and forgiveness, but when they leave the peace and security of home and venture out into the world, some take on the attitudes of the world. Even the most innocent can become one of its heartless characters when the glitter of this world shines brighter than the light of Jesus. Family love is set aside, words are spoken, actions are taken, and the family is separated.

Jesus treasures the family and the brethren. When He walked this earth, He consistently spoke about peace between the brethren. We are not stereotyped people. God created us with individual likes and dislikes, talents and personalities, and we all come from different cultures. But, the love of Jesus binds us together as one. He is our Savior and our Lord, and our soon to return King. Our priority in life is our love for God.

 

 

• So He answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”—Luke 10:27 NKJV

Unfortunately, the influence of this world can steal our joy, prevent us from living for Jesus, and cause us to act with resentment or bitterness towards each other. Since many of us have to work in this world and deal with the people in it every day, we need to put on the full armor of God and equip ourselves with God’s love and truth so that we will not fall into the ways of the world. We want to be the person God has called us to be.

To do that, we need to read the Bible and get God’s truth deep into our heart so that Jesus becomes alive in us. Then our heart will always flow with God’s peace and forgiveness towards others. When we put God first in our life and when His love for people becomes our love for people, we begin to see each person as someone who God loves; as someone who we need to lead to Jesus so that God won’t lose them to sin.

• Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.—2 Timothy 2:15

Then we’ll know who God is, and we’ll appreciate the love, peace and forgiveness that flowed through Jesus. The Holy Spirit in us will teach us and live through us, and we’ll know it by how we act, react and treat others.

• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.—Galatians 5:22-24

When Jesus was teaching the Beatitudes to His disciples, He said that we are to live as much as possible in peace because when we do that, we are truly behaving like His children. Our goal should not be to make people like what we like or act how we act, or to make them grovel beneath us because of our worldly status. Our goal is to let God live through us so that we can show His love and grace to others and lead them to Jesus for salvation.

• Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.—Matthew 5:9

When we can see others as Jesus sees them, then we can overlook the things in them that irritate us personally, and do what Jesus told us to do in Matthew 25:34-36, 40. And when they do things that offend us or cause us problems, we can forgive them and work with them in peace towards an amenable resolution, and all to the glory of God.

• If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men..—Romans 12:18 NKJV

We are sinners saved by grace, and we have been forgiven of our sins and adopted into God’s family because of His love for us. When this truth becomes part of us, we can go forward and treat others with the same love, respect, and forgiveness. The key, though, is to forgive them as Jesus has forgiven us, and to not let animosity or walls build up. And just as important, we are not to judge them because we don’t walk in their shoes and we don’t know all the circumstances, and we have no idea how we’d deal with that same  situation if it was dropped on us.  We must walk in peace, act in love and pray diligently for healing and for salvation.

• And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.—Matthew 6:12

If every one of us could focus on the love of God more than on ourselves and on our issues, we would be acting like His disciple and following in His footsteps, showing peace and forgiveness towards those who anger us and hurt us. Time is running out and Jesus will soon return, so let’s break down the walls of contention so that His peace and forgiveness can flow through us and end the conflicts that separate us from our family and brethren.

• These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.—John 16:33

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Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!…ronnie