Power of Peaceful Coexistence

Key Scripture:  “Turn away from evil and do good. 
 Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” Psalms 34:14

Power Point:

Peace is a wonderful thing isn’t it?  You love it when you have it and you miss it when you don’t.  Part of the really good news of the gospel is that you always have peace with God and His peace is available to you every second of every day. It’s IN you and it wants to get out!

I’ve been hearing the phrase, ‘pursue peace” lately.  When I first looked at this verse, I thought, “Well, of course God wants me to turn away from evil.”  I was thinking of murder, slander, hatred, you know all those things that we all agree are e-v-i-l.  Well it might interest you to know what God considers evil.  Are you ready? Evil can also mean "disagreeable, unpleasant, causing pain, misery or unhappiness". AND unkindness. (Oh my.)

She had a fragrance of peace

In fact, when He says turn away from those behaviors and do good, He’s saying do something that will benefit someone else, show kindness, be agreeable, show others their value. And then, Holy Spirit follows up with the key to peaceful coexistence: “search for peace (His peace) and work to maintain it.

You see, when Jesus left us His peace, He left us the same relationship with His Father that He had. He left us the same ability to maintain every relationship in our lives whether it’s a spouse, or a child, or a friendship or a church member, or a co-worker. Jesus worked really hard at maintaining peace if you remember. Everyone around Him seemed to be in chaos much of the time, even His own disciples, but Jesus never reacted to the chaos, He responded in peace.  I have people in my life and I suppose you do too, who love to push my buttons.  Years ago, one particular person was very successful at it. Holy Spirit decided to put His finger on my pulse and change my peace heartbeat. It was a little slow. He told me that I never had to be intimidated, or fearful, or worried or anxious and get myself all stirred up because I had His perfect peace. I just needed to learn to release it. Shortly after that the opportunity arose for me to practice what He had preached to me. I was with this particular lady and she started an argument. I said nothing..

She asked, “Aren’t you going to say anything?”  I said, “No, I am not going to lose my peace.” And I didn’t. The funny thing is that that particular moment changed the course of our encounters from then on. I learned to respond in peace and not react to her anger.

I think she came to respect that. Of course, I no longer had to be right or dominate the conversation. I think she really grew to love that!

Don’t you think “peace” is the missing piece in most lives around us today? Isn’t that sad, when God’s children are full of peace and could change the world-at least their part of it. What if you asked Holy Spirit to show you how to release His peace in you and through you today? What if every person you met became a target for His peace?

Years ago, I read a story about a perfume factory in France. When the workers from that factory gathered anywhere you could smell the fragrance of where they spent their time. We’re supposed to be carrying the “fragrance of Christ” everywhere we go. People should be able to smell the exquisite fragrance of His peace. Pursue it and then spread it around.

Power Thought:

Peace is a gift from Him and a manifestation of His presence in us.