Journal Entry ~ 10/12/18

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. - Hebrews 12:14

If my desire is to grow more Christlike, then my responses have to grow more loving and more peaceful. Where its hardest to love in your life, where it’s hardest to make peace, you're most like our Savior when you choose love as your response. 

This verse commands us to strive for peace with everyone, so if I am disrespected by my children, wronged by my family, disregarded by my husband, or deceived by a co-worker, I am commanded here to work for peace. That means my response must show His love. I cannot pay them back with evil despite the fact that my flesh is screaming they deserve it. It doesn't mean I have to just allow or accept the behavior without a response - God doesn't call us to be a doormat. But my response cannot be sinful - I cannot scream in anger, shut them out in hurt, or gossip in revenge. I have to respond in a way that seeks to do good and seeks to make peace in the conflict. 

That kind of unconditional response is impossible without fully relying on the Holy Spirit. When my flesh is hurt, the last thing I want to do is make peace with the person. My emotions want to rise up in anger or walk away hurt. But peace is what He calls me toward. How will my response communicate to this person that my greatest desire is to have peace with them. 

I am learning to recognize my emotions in the moment as a trigger and walk away rather than responding, then when I've worked through the emotional response by bringing it to Him, I am in a much better place to respond in love. I'm far from perfect in this - I have a long way to go before I can say I am like my Savior, but He is growing me tremendously in this area. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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