The Enemy of Peaceful Living
Romans 12:16 (NLT)
Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Reflection
When Paul wrote this in a letter to the Romans, he focuses on three things:
1. Live in harmony with the people around you.
2. Enjoy spending time with everyone, not just those who you deem are “worthy” of your time.
3. Don’t become conceited.
These things are important to keep in mind as we go about our lives. We all strive to live in peace. With others. With ourselves. With God. I think only a handful of people, (maybe ever,) want to exclusively live a life of chaos. It’s not enjoyable, so we strive for peace.
One way to create this peace is to live in harmony with others. This doesn’t mean just tolerating the people around you, but rather living in a way where you adjust your normal behavior to accommodate for others, living life with a mindset of mutual submission. This way of living reduces conflict, provides relationship, and develops an overall sense of peace.
However, the enemy of this peaceful living is what we see in the last two sentences of this verse. The enemy of peaceful living is the person, or lifestyle, that is too “above” everyone else. Those who don’t associate with individuals that they deem are “less than” themselves. Those who become conceited, believing that they know everything and they know best.
It is hard to interact peacefully with someone who thinks too highly of themselves. It causes tension, creates insecurity, and divides people. These types of people aren’t fun to be around. They’re not the kind of people you invite to your monthly barbeque. They simply create an atmosphere of chaos, rather than peace. It’s hard to minister to others in an atmosphere of chaos and division, especially with culture’s opinions and thoughts towards Christians.
So, we as Christians should live like Jesus did. He dined with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. He served those around Him. He lived in peace and harmony with others. When we do this, people will be drawn to us. They will feel secure around us when we create an atmosphere of peace and love. This allows the opportunity to minister to them and share the good news of Jesus with them. Because how GOOD is that news?!
Action Steps
Spend time praying and meditating over the following questions:
Prayer
God, we ask that You convict us where needed. Help us rid evil from our lives so we can live in peace with everyone. Allow us to minister well in that peace, proclaiming the good news that You came to deliver us. We thank You for the example You set for us. In Your name we pray, amen.
Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Reflection
When Paul wrote this in a letter to the Romans, he focuses on three things:
1. Live in harmony with the people around you.
2. Enjoy spending time with everyone, not just those who you deem are “worthy” of your time.
3. Don’t become conceited.
These things are important to keep in mind as we go about our lives. We all strive to live in peace. With others. With ourselves. With God. I think only a handful of people, (maybe ever,) want to exclusively live a life of chaos. It’s not enjoyable, so we strive for peace.
One way to create this peace is to live in harmony with others. This doesn’t mean just tolerating the people around you, but rather living in a way where you adjust your normal behavior to accommodate for others, living life with a mindset of mutual submission. This way of living reduces conflict, provides relationship, and develops an overall sense of peace.
However, the enemy of this peaceful living is what we see in the last two sentences of this verse. The enemy of peaceful living is the person, or lifestyle, that is too “above” everyone else. Those who don’t associate with individuals that they deem are “less than” themselves. Those who become conceited, believing that they know everything and they know best.
It is hard to interact peacefully with someone who thinks too highly of themselves. It causes tension, creates insecurity, and divides people. These types of people aren’t fun to be around. They’re not the kind of people you invite to your monthly barbeque. They simply create an atmosphere of chaos, rather than peace. It’s hard to minister to others in an atmosphere of chaos and division, especially with culture’s opinions and thoughts towards Christians.
So, we as Christians should live like Jesus did. He dined with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. He served those around Him. He lived in peace and harmony with others. When we do this, people will be drawn to us. They will feel secure around us when we create an atmosphere of peace and love. This allows the opportunity to minister to them and share the good news of Jesus with them. Because how GOOD is that news?!
Action Steps
Spend time praying and meditating over the following questions:
- Are you currently an enemy of peaceful living (conceited, prideful, etc.)?
- If so, what are some things you need to change?
- How can you minister to others by living in harmony with them?
Prayer
God, we ask that You convict us where needed. Help us rid evil from our lives so we can live in peace with everyone. Allow us to minister well in that peace, proclaiming the good news that You came to deliver us. We thank You for the example You set for us. In Your name we pray, amen.
Posted in Tree Church Daily Devo
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