The Reconciled Life

We all desire to have peace in our life, but very few people seem to actually find it. All too often we find find ourselves trying to not offend others or take offense at their actions, until finally we, or someone else, just blows up.

Then we get out our Canadian UN PeaceKeeper uniform and go and try to help make 'nicey-nicey', you know, the Canadian way. We find that at best we are walking in a field of land mines, just waiting for the next explosion. Once that happens, we get on our 'gear' again, maybe use a fire extinguisher to put the fire out, and move on until the next fracas.

What if we were to actually give up the idea of peacekeeping and instead lived as if our whole life was about peacemaking. Instead of pulling out tools and techniques to navigate conflict, we saw our life mission as restoring people to right relationship with each other and with God.

What if we started that by releasing our own fears and trusting God to create an internal peace that no event could shatter. Is it possible? Yes!

James 4:1-3
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Use the following questions to help bring peace to your own heart, and share them in your friendship/family circles. Commit to the Reconciling Life...

What am I preoccupied with? What is the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind at night?

How would I complete this statement: "If only _____________, then I would be happy, fulfilled, and secure"?

What do I want to preserve or avoid?

Where do I put my trust?

What do I fear?

When a certain desire is not met, do I feel frustration, anxiety, resentment, bitterness, anger, or depression?

Is there something I desire so much that I am willing to disappoint or hurt others in order to have it?