Peacemakers

03 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by Seeking Peace in Matthew 5:9, peace, peacemaker

I want to be a peacemaker. var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”); document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src='” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”)); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(“UA-12356560-1”); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

I have lived much of my life in conflict. Conflict with God and his desire for me, conflict within myself and who I wanted to be and conflict with others who were/are close to me. It’s hard to live in conflict as long as I did and even made harder by my inability to deal with conflict.

When I started the program I’m working through now learning to be a peacemaker, I had to take a test to determine my conflict style. The choices are: collaboration (win-win), accommodation (you win-I lose), compromise (lose-lose), competition (I win-you lose) and avoidance (nothing to win or lose). I rated highest in avoidance and second highest in accommodation. If I couldn’t avoid it at all costs, I would rather give in and let someone else get their way. I have bad conflict resolution skills and it’s something I want to change for myself and certainly to help other people.

I often wish I had known better a long time ago. I think I would have been a better person, a better father, a better husband, a better employee, a better friend. It’s hard sometimes wishing I could rewrite history but that isn’t going to happen so I press on, looking to the future, working to overcome my weaknesses and shortcomings, hoping the Lord will use me to bring peace to others so that conflict doesn’t tear them down, rip them apart and throw them aside.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. – Matthew 5:9

Lord, make me a peacemaker and use me in your kingdom so that others will know the peace that only comes from you.

Grace and peace to you.

Peace 3

18 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by Seeking Peace in peace, peacemaker

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And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ²³ “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’
“So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Numbers 6:22-27 (NKJV)

From these verses comes the “other” ACU school song, one sung after so many events and a song that always reminds me of an ACU event. It’s a song we talked about in the closing ceremony of my Residency Session week at ACU last week. The idea of the Lord’s face shining upon us and giving us peace. I look forward to that day when I see the Lord’s face shining upon me, me in his presence, and I imagine the peace I will feel at that moment.

In the meantime, I want to seek out ways to find that peace in the here and now and to help others who are in the storms of life find that peace.

Grace and peace to you.

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Peace and More Peace

16 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by Seeking Peace in peace, peacemaker

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When the way you live pleases the Lord,
he makes even your enemies live at peace with you.var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”); document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src='” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”)); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(“UA-12356560-1”); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

Proverbs 16:7 (NIRV)

I just spent a week at Abilene Christian University learning to be a peacemaker. It is something I desire, something I hope to become and be in every part of my life. Learning to live through my own pain, I have come to find so many people are hurting and think they are not worthy of love. I am coming to know that God runs to all of his lost children, arms wide open, ready to embrace them for who they are – his children.

I want to live a life that pleases the Lord. Oh, how I struggle at doing it regularly. I want to walk close to him but my mind wanders and my heart is pulled along with it too often. Still, I desire to walk closer to God and in a way that pleases him so that even my enemies will live at peace with me, a child of his only wanting to be a peacemaker.

Grace and peace to you.