Strive for peace with everyone. (Hebrews 12:14)
Tending a garden, requires some vigilance. If we don’t give the garden some attention regularly, it will soon fill up with weeds. And if we wait too long to take care of the weeds, their roots intertwine with our plants, and we can’t pull one without losing the other.
God intends us to be in community with one another to help one another along the way. And the world is watching how we, followers of Jesus, treat one another. If we let ourselves become bitter toward one another, we lose out on a valuable partner in our walk with Jesus. And our witness to the world is damaged as well. Disagreements are inevitable in any relationship, but if we let those disagreements grow, they can tear us apart. Then instead of a body of Christ that cares for each other, people see more of the same fighting and anger that is all too common in our world.
The next time we find ourselves in a disagreement with a brother or sister in Christ, ask ourselves, what would it look like to extend grace to that person? What can I do to live in peace with him or her? We’ll save ourselves from becoming trapped in bitterness, and we will show the world around us how God can draw us together.
Please pray with me and ask God to help each of us to extend grace to those around us.
We can and we will with God’s help, Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Valerie+
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