Letting Christ's Peace Rule
By Jeffrey Snell
God's incredible Creation is teeming with richness and
intricacy. Yet human nature seems inclined toward the idea that
many people can be quickly evaluated and tagged with labels
which capture their essence. Keeping up with the hurried pace of
the world, we often work to make interactions with others as
efficient as possible, particularly those we differ with, saving
effort but neglecting relationships. Even in the Church we can
struggle at times with the Lord's command to invest in others as
well as ourselves. (Philippians 2:4) Should this approach become
habit, ultimately the mind can disengage and we may cease
listening all together. How then shall we detect a need in the
life of our brother or sister?
Beyond eschewing blessings and edification orchestrated by God,
this practice divides the Body. We are each susceptible to
contentiousness and idly employing popular expressions to
attempt to invalidate opposing views, particularly in the
present politically-charged social climate. I've caught myself
forming opinions in this dangerous manner--nearly before another
person has finished a sentence, I have them figured out. For
example, we might seek to corrupt credibility during debates
over social issues by mentally (or verbally) labeling others as
"liberals", "fundamentalists", "extremists", etc. Valid or
invalid, terms applied so shallowly sabotage relationship.
Battle lines are quickly drawn and a sort of emotional scorching
widens the rift between the two sides, stifling opportunity for
understanding and growth. It's like assessing the value of a
house based solely on the siding! God has created human beings
with much more depth and value than that. Where is Jesus Christ
in our relationships?
Too often, labeling others is justified under the guise of
biblical correction. But I need to be careful where I attach the
authority of God's word. While I am certainly not required to
affirm another's perspective where unsound, within the Body God
does instruct us to "make every effort to do what leads to peace
and to mutual edification." (Romans 14:19) Paul is addressing
conflict over legality of Christians partaking of certain foods
and behaviors. The idea seems readily applicable here as well: a
goal of every believer in Jesus Christ must be to seek peace
with others, even if we differ, and to build them up with our
words and actions. We must take great care to avoid standing on
Scripture's authority to support our personal preferences.
Colossians 3:15-16 instructs, "Let the peace of Christ rule in
your hearts" (not emotion or defensiveness) "...let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish...." Peace
and the Word both must accompany admonishment.
Habits formed over many years are never easy to change. Our
present culture in the United States has made it easy to be
careless, oblivious to the heart our words may wound. So let us
consider today whether our speech and attitude invite repentance
or resentment. To be effective emissaries for Christ, we must
reject the destructive patterns of the world which offer only
alienation. The Lord has provided Himself as our model in the
gospels. Following His path of peace, truth and honoring our
brothers will bring us closer to heart of the Father and to the
rest of our holy family.
Jeffrey has been writing since 2000, and lives in the
Seattle area with his wife and three children.
His passion is to draw others to a more intimate knowledge &
love of Jesus through fiction & non-fiction.
http://www.geocities.com/js_write
