“But I tell you: Love your enemies, bless them who curse you, do good to those who hate you.” Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

From the beginning of time as recorded in Genesis when Cain, angry with his brother, lead him into the field where he attacked and killed Abel, down through the centuries of world history, our planet has been plagued with conflict and dissension, with broken hearts and spilled blood.

Countries have risen up against countries and peace treaties have been drawn up and violated. The bonds between family members and friends have been battered, bruised, and broken. Why? Because “hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy” (Galatians 5:20-21 NIV) threaten to undermine the peaceful relationships among family, friends, coworkers, and nations. They threaten to alienate us. To destroy us. To obliterate our peace.

Statistics tell us the world has enjoyed peace for less than 8% of its history and 50% of all marriages end in divorce. These statistics for estranged relationships are not very encouraging. In fact, a cloud of despair passes over our hearts when we read these startling and depressing figures. It almost seems…hopeless.

And yet…the Apostle Paul urges us to “live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18 NIV) Jesus tells us to “go and be reconciled.” (Matthew 5:24 NIV) God, the First Peacemaker, refused to accept us as His enemies, and came to us, in His Son, Jesus Christ (the Peace Child), to break down the barrier of sin separating us from Him, to repair the battered relationship between us, and to make peace with us. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.” (Luke 2:11 NIV)

Will it be easy for us to operate in humility, search for forgiveness, bury our pride, and reach out to people who have hurt us? No, it is no easy path to follow. Philip Keller wrote: “The path of peace…is a tough trail tramped out with humble heart and lowly spirit.”

But…it is possible. We can take the initiative to reach out to people, to break down the barriers, to extend the hand of peace, to repair the battered relationships, to restore the bruised bonds, if…we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in cultivating peace within us, and then, in God’s strength, step out and walk that difficult path of peace.

Jesus tells us “Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9 NIV) Are you willing to be the agents of peace in the lives of the people in your life and tramp the difficult path of peace, especially as Christmas is coming?

God Bless!
Love & Prayers,
Anna

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11 (NIV)

Did you know…children laugh more than 400 times a day? Imagine that. Four hundred times a day! And adults? Studies have confirmed adults laugh…15 times a day. What has happened in the period of time between our start-up in childhood and our entry into adulthood?

Little children have this innate joie de vivre. They lead carefree lives. And why shouldn’t they? They have no worries. No responsibilities. No stress. They don’t need to be concerned with putting food on the table and paying the bills. That’s what the adults in their lives do. Children just need to live and enjoy life.

And adults? We find ourselves becoming burdened with the reality of our responsibilities. We have children to care for, elderly parents to assist, groceries to purchase, mortgages to pay… And eventually, we lose the joie de vivre. We begin to take our lives and ourselves too seriously. We begin to be more negative than positive in our outlook, in our conversation. We…often mistake happiness for joy.

Happiness depends on externals. We will be happy if…we have a great job…we are earning a lot of money…we drive a high-end vehicle…we have a healthy bank account…we have the ideal weight…we experience fabulous weather…we benefit from good health…we are in blissful relationships…

Joy is being happy whatever the situation. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that God wants to cultivate deep within us. Joy does not depend on the circumstances in our lives, but arises from our deep, intimate relationship with God. As He nurtures this inner delight, joy bubbles within us, filling our mouths with laughter, flowing through our lips with songs, brightening our countenances with radiance, smoothing out our scowl lines, and shining in our eyes with brilliance.

I’m reminded of a song I learned in church a long time ago:

I’m a bubblin’, I’m a bubblin’, I’m a bubblin’ in my soul.
I’m a bubblin’, I’m a bubblin’, since Jesus made me whole.
Folks can’t understand it why I’ve got to shout it.
I’m a bubblin’, I’m a bubblin’, I’m a bubblin’, I’m a bubblin’, I’m a bubblin’ all day long.

Is joy bubbling within you?

God Bless!
Love & Prayers,
Anna

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong.”
I Corinthians 13:4-5 (NIV)

I checked the thesaurus for the definition of the word love? It lists these words: affection, adoration, friendship, tenderness, fondness, devotion, passion, ardour. While all of these are true, I couldn’t help thinking they somehow fell short, didn’t quite reveal it to its fullest extent. Something was…lacking.

The Bible explains love as being patient and kind, not envious or boastful or proud or rude or self-seeking or easily angered or keeping a record of wrongs done against us, but says love is…a decision and a commitment to put others first.

God put us first. When our forefather Adam and his wife Eve sinned and were expelled from the Garden of Eden and we, their ancestors, inherited their sin and thus deserved an eternity in hell because we are sinners, too, God put us first. He made a decision and a commitment to provide a plan for our salvation—His Son, Jesus—so that we can receive what we do not deserve—a new, full life here on earth and an eternity in heaven.

Jesus put us first. When we could not pay the price for our sins that a Holy and Righteous God demanded, Jesus put us first. He made a decision and a commitment to set aside His privileges and rights and leave the glory of heaven and provide Himself as the Sacrificial Lamb, to bear our sins on His shoulders, and pay the price on our behalf by dying on the cross so that we can experience life in Him now and enjoy the glory of heaven as His co-heirs later.

Love is…a decision and a commitment to put others first, even when it hurts, isn’t convenient, or we simply don’t want to. The world system says, Me first. God’s system says, Others first.

I have to admit…it isn’t easy to look at love in this way. I mean, if people are nice to me, sure, I am nice to them, also. They respect me, I respect them. They do for me, I do for them. No problem there. But, what if…they’re not so nice to me…ignore me…don’t care about me…hate me…hurt me…spread rumors about me? Lo-o-o-o-ord! You can’t possibly mean I have to show them love, do You?

Yes!

Loving the loveable is easy. Loving the rest…is more demanding. Jesus’ own example of love—selfless, self-giving, self-sacrificing—is what we need to make a decision about and a commitment to…imitate. It won’t be easy. Sometimes, even putting the needs of our family members first won’t be easy or convenient.

But, if we allow the Holy Spirit to grow in us the kind of love Jesus showed us, we will be able to be a gracious servant to our friends and family members and reach out with grace to difficult people.

Are you willing to let God express His love through you to all the people who cross your path today? Let’s try.

God Bless!
Love & Prayers,
Anna