Blessed are the Peacemakers – Sermon Follow Up
I spoke with a few people after preaching this weekend, and I have gotten a whole lot of feedback so I wanted to take a minute and address a few of the issues that were raised that I did not have time to touch on.
First, while we are supposed to engage in conflict, and embrace conflict in a way that leads to peace we cannot expect peace to immediately replace what we had before. We may have a peace that we are finally facing this issue, but some of us have a lot to work through before we are even able to forgive other people for the sins they have committed. We just need to be willing to walk through the process while holding onto the promise that peace is on the way.
Secondly, when we hold out an olive branch and allow ourselves to be vulnerable we may get rejected. Just because we are pursuing peace doesn’t guarantee that others will join us. It is definitely a noble thing we are doing by offering and seeking forgiveness, but there will be some who will try to knock us down. Some people will choose to hold onto the grudge, and then we are faced with the choice as to whether we get angry or feel sorrow toward them.
Lastly, take baby steps. Get involved with a group of people who will walk you through the steps you need to take in order to forgive or seek forgiveness. You may have lived with this issue for years, so give yourself time. Don’t be discouraged if you just aren’t at the place where you can offer or seek forgiveness. Be confident that as long as you are moving toward the conflict God will eventually get you there, and He will give you PEACE.
Thanks for sharing with me. It was a pleasure sharing with you. Let me know if I can help.
Prayer – I suck at it.
I just finished Philip Yancey’s Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?
Anyway, back to the book. The short answer is, yes.
You’ll have to read the book to get the long answer.
So, as with any book that I typically read I am forced to think about some things, confess some things, and even repent of some things. In the end, a book worth reading is one that will point out how much I suck, and then point me very gently back to Jesus.
This book, while not Yancey’s best, is definitely worth reading. The Jesus I Never Knew
I was confronted by the fact that God, my heavenly Daddy, typically views my prayers like my trips to the grocery store with my Ugandan kids. Every five seconds they point and yell, “Daddy, I want!” I was confronted with the fact, that if that was the extent of the conversation I had with my kids, then my relationship with them would be void of any depth or meaning. The repentance involved with this revelation is going to involve me praying differently. I am not supposed to quit telling Daddy what I want, but those requests should be embedded in a sea of other conversation.
How I am going to create that sea is still up for grabs, but I think it will have something to do with intentionally indicating that I want God to listen in and give me feedback on every thought. I want to invite Him to have input on those little conversations I have inside my head.
How about you?
How would God describe your conversations with Him?
How would you describe a relationship you had with someone if the only conversation you had was one way and included a laundry list? As a pastor this is often why we struggle to build relationships with others because we are often only sought out because people want something.
If you want to borrow the book just let me know, or if you have a Nook I can lend it to you.
Lent – Our Spiritual Winter
The season of Lent begins today, Wednesday, March 9th. Lent is a spiritual season that is a spiritual winter of sorts. Symbolized with ashes and being reminded of our need for repentance Lent calls us to die to the desires of the flesh in order to prepare for the new life we have in Christ as is represented by Passover and the Resurrection. It is a time for those of us who may be struggling emotionally, maritally, and spiritually to recalibrate. It is a time to reflect on who we are and who Christ is calling us to be. It is a time to be sobered by the wickedness that still resides deep inside of us, and to be overwhelmed by the grace of God that caused Him to save us anyway. It is a time to re-certify our commitment to allowing God to finish the work, eradicate the wickedness within, and reconcile us to Himself.
Many people already struggle at this time of year emotionally that often lead them to make life altering and destructive decisions in order to help themselves feel better. Statistics show that divorce lawyers are sought more often in January and February than at any other time of year. It may be the lack of sunshine, as it tends to be with my lovely wife Kristi, or it could be that we are unprepared to fight against the wickedness within. Whatever the reason for our unhappiness the reality is that our faith, in order to grow, must experience the perseverance of making it through Spiritual Winters.
I pray that you join me in doing so intentionally until Easter by picking up a new habit that helps you reflect on Christ or getting rid of an old one that is ultimately destructive to your mind, body or soul.