Peacemakers

There is no soul in this world which God cannot touch. Even the toughest person in this world, the most arrogant and the haughty head will have a soft corner which can be touched by God. As God's children, we always have a challenge with these kinds of people. Yet when confronted by the tough, the proud and the arrogant soul, all we need to do is- communicate, react and show love, calmness and silence. The love of God will certainly flow from us to others unknowingly touching their souls in a powerful way. We ourselves will be amazed by the way they change and take the initiative to communicate to us...That is the power of God.

Hebrews 12:14 (New International Version)

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

If we only live and do what God asks us, we will see that even the most indifferent people move towards us like a magnet that attracts iron to itself...

Inherited Syndrome

Most of us knowingly or unknowingly suffer from 'blame syndrome'. We blame others or situations for what happens to us or in our lives. This is definitely something we have genetically inherited from Adam who when confronted by God put the blame on Eve for breaking God's rule...

Genesis 3:12 (New International Version)

The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

When will we as matured people learn to take responsibility for our speech, actions, behavior, choices, decisions and consequences of them in life?

Galatians 6:5 (New Living Translation)

For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Dr. Grant. C. Richison comments that this scripture refer to the personal responsibility we need to hold before the throne of God . Each of us are responsible for the life we live, decisions we make and for the words spoken. So let us grow up and become matured enough to take responsibility for our life and well-being.

Exemplified believers

How are believers to be when it comes to speaking? We all know that more than words of high knowledge, intelligence and powerful demonstration of communication skills, what is more essential is the transparency of being, doing and living of what we speak.

Our life speaks more than our words which we may think is unseen by people. But people can read a lot from the way we display our attitude, behaviors, actions and the way we live. Unless our words match with the way we live and do things, our speech is meaningless. May we never be people who speak one thing with our mouth but has something different in our heart...May our hearts be transparent and honest enough to speak what we mean, live and do.

1 Timothy 4:12 (New Living Translation)

Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Speech and Spiritualism

James 1:26 (New American Standard Bible)

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.

The way we speak, react, behave and live has a greater impact on the faith we profess. Our speech and behavior reveal our attitude, motives and perceptions we hold. As children of God we should know how we communicate to others. If our speech does not have any Christ-likeness in it, then our faith which we profess seldom holds a good impact on the hearers.

What we speak, the way we say it and the respect we give to the hearer holds a greater value on us and our faith...

May every conversation we get into reveal that we are indeed God's children and may our faith never be deemed meaningless because of our immaturity to communicate appropriately.

Child-like heart

When we read God's word everyday, the Lord speaks to us directly many a time. Sometimes it is word a of encouragement, hope, faith, comfort, empathy, and sometimes it is words of correction, discipline and learning. When we are confronted by words of correction, discipline and change, the Spirit of God gently convicts us of our shortcoming and prompts within us a need for repentance or willingness to yield. It is at those times, our minds play the trick by justifying what we do as right.

Our mind is a powerful entity which the Lord has created us with. And the Lord has given the mind its power in forms of intellect, wisdom, knowledge, discernment and discretion. When we are convicted by the Lord through His Word and Spirit, our mind may not be ready to immediately accept it. Our mind uses all its power to justify our thoughts, actions, behaviors, motives and attitude. The reason for the mind to work this way is...

The heart is deceitful above all things

and beyond cure.

Who can understand it? - Jeremiah 17:9 (New International Version)

It is easy for our heart to accept words of encouragement, hope, faith, comfort and consolation. But it is difficult for the heart to accept correction, discipline, change and transformation.

That is why the Lord emphasized,

Matthew 18:3 (The Message)

2-5. For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom...

We need to have a child-like heart to accept words of correction, discipline and change. Younger children do not justify for their wrongs. They are simple and straight forward. They accept and learn more readily than adults.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me a heart like that of a child. So that I accept every word that you tell me whether of correction or encouragement in the same manner. I am willing to go back to square one. In Jesus name. Amen.

Adding to our faith - 7

2 Peter 1:5-7 (New American Standard Bible)

5.Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

6.and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

7.and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

The the final thing that Apostle Peter sums up in this scripture asking God's children to possess is - love. The whole gospel is summed up in this... Every child of God knows about the unconditional love that the Bible talks about. We as God's children have experienced this agape (unconditional) love from God and know the depth of it. Yet to walk in that love as God's child among people is often a challenge. The whole world knows that the main attribute of anyone who claims Christ is love and yet the world fails to see that love in Christians.

Why? The challenge for us is to show the love to those who are indifferent to that unconditional love. We know that the Lord asks us to love our enemies and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We may read these scriptures time and again. And know deep within us that it is difficult.

It is difficult, yet not impossible. Though at times we may fail to express that unconditional love of God to those who may be indifferent to us or talk bad about us, we can for certain pray for them. And it is only the love of God (flowing through us) which can truly make people respond to our love...

Adding to our faith - 6

2 Peter 1:5-7 (New American Standard Bible)

5.Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

6.and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control,perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

7.and in your godliness, brotherly kindness

Brotherly kindness is the warmth, care and concern which needs to be shown to the household of faith. Many believers in Christ hesitate to show acts of help, provision and care to other believers because of being cheated or taken advantage of, by others. There are many instances, where men and women of God have moved to do good to believers in Christ and have had bitter experiences. These kind of instances do happen in Christian circles. However, a believer should not be disheartened to show acts of brother kindness to fellow believers.

Many of us need to understand that we need to indulge in acts of brother kindness when moved by the Holy Spirit rather by emotions. It is quite challenging to differentiate between emotions and the Holy Spirit's prompting. During such times it is always better to pause, pray and seek the Lord's guidance to decide on things to be done. We need to ask the Lord for discernment, so as to minister to genuine needs rather than fake ones...

Galatians 6:10 (New American Standard Bible)

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Prayer: Lord, help me to have the discernment when I need to move with the acts of brotherly kindness. For what I do should result in edification of others and bring glory to your name. In Jesus name. Amen.