The Language of God

Have you ever tried to have a meaningful conversation with someone who didn't speak your language? It basically becomes a guessing game of charades, where you are unable to get the other person to understand let alone respond to you.  As much as this paints a funny picture in our imaginations, if there was any urgency regarding what you needed to talk about, that so called 'conversation' would only result in their blank stare and your growing frustration.

I think, that may resemble the conversations we have with the Lord, from time to time.  It's as though our communication becomes one sided.  We pour out our hearts or desperate appeals, just to feel them bounce off an invisible wall.  We have no reassuring come back.  No response at all....just a dull silence.  As if we were speaking to God in a language that was completely foreign to Him.    

So what is the language of God?  Is it difficult and complicated to learn?  Well, it turns out to be  as complicated as when a sinner cries out in faith to the Lord for salvation, and God responds with His saving grace.   Ephesians 2:9, says that we are saved by grace, through faith.    Grace is God's gift to us, and not just for salvation.  We find it in every promise in His Word.  We find grace each time we approach Him.  Grace is God's continuous approach and response to us.  His sovereign nature is and always will hold the quality of grace in our relationship with Him. Grace is God's language to us. What is equally important to understand, is that grace always responds to the language of faith.

This perpetual exchange between grace and faith, becomes an ongoing conversation between the Lord and us, it forms the pattern of a language that we both understand and can respond to.     Grace is simply what God says to us, in His Word, and in our hearts, and faith is our response to Him.   I once heard someone say that faith is a positive response to receive what the Lord has freely done for us.

Grace says, "You are loved, you are redeemed, you are never alone....you are free, you are healed, you are valuable, and in Me, all things are possible."  Faith responds, "Thank you Lord, I believe you, I trust you, I receive all you have done for me,..... I am yours and I delight in You."

Now that's the language God always responds to, it's the one He has bound Himself to honour.  In Hebrew 4:14, we learn that Jesus is the high priest of our confession. The Word confess means to say the same thing.  So when we speak to the Lord, either in our approach or response, our words must carry the same truth we hear in His Words.  We must communicate with Him, in His  language.  The language of faith that agrees with and responds to His grace.

Over and over, we see the beauty of this language displayed throughout the Word of God, and every time it produces the supernatural.  One example is between Jairus and Jesus in Mark 5.  When Jairus approaches Jesus concerning his ailing daughter, he speaks in faith.  Then after receiving the report that his daughter has died, Jesus says to him, "Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing.".  Jairus listens to Jesus, and when they enter his house, Jesus dismisses everyone there not speaking His language of faith.  That very day, Jairus enjoys holding his beloved daughter, now well, and full of life, in his arms again.

There is nothing more beautiful or promising than the dialogue of grace and faith.  It's the language of God.  It's a language that produces peace and joy and activates the supernatural in our lives.   Jairus discovered, being surrounded by people who speak a different language, can cause us to become distracted and lose our 'fluency in faith'.  Perhaps it's time for us to keep people who speak the same language closer to us than others.  Let's be careful to keep the language of fear from contaminating our faith, and overshadowing the frequency of Grace.  

So the next time you feel like your prayers are falling on 'deaf ears', try speaking the language you know is heard and guaranteed to bring a response that will fill your life with peace and joy.  Speak to the Lord in the language of faith, and listen to His response of grace.  Let your on-going conversation lead you into the fulfilment of every promise He has so graciously given to you.

Love you much,

Jenny

Vitally Connected

There are so many Bible characters that are fascinating to read about.  Perhaps what amazes me the most is their very human qualities.  Of course they were human, just like you and me, but their lives were recorded in the one book that has stood the the test of time.  It tells the story of generation after generation, from Genesis to Revelation. So you would think that there had to have been something pretty remarkable about them, to be mentioned in this ancient, yet ever relative book.

The truth is, they were special.  They displayed a truth that illustrates how a human life, when intimately connected to God, can do amazing exploits. They became powerful, courageous and overcoming when they were completely dependent on God, but vulnerable to weakness of character and poverty of spirit when choosing their own path in life.

Many times we see this contrast in character vividly displayed in the same person.  I'm thinking of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Saul, David, Gideon and the Apostle Paul.  Oh my, we could really go into detail about each one, and the twists and turns their destinies took, each time they chose to walk according to their own ways, and the extreme change when they walked according to God's.

What has always fascinated me is the generations of kings in Israel's biblical history.  It's almost crazy how their positions on following after God, flip flopped drastically from one generation to the next.  One king would be completely devoted to the Lord and rule dependent on His wisdom, connected through the voice of the prophets' and scripture written on ancient scrolls.  In his years of reign, the nation would prosper substantially and live in peace.  But his successor would be as evil and wicked of heart as his predecessor was good.  Under his rule, the nation would be flung into poverty and slavery.

Like I said, the Bible makes for some pretty fascinating reading!  But let's take a look at one character I have always been particularly intrigued by, His name was Enoch.  The Bible mentions one of Cain's sons being called Enoch, but the Enoch we are discussing came several generations after him.  Even though the Bible has little detail concerning his life, it mentions him in the most significant passages that relate to the almost heroic, world changes recorded in the Bible.  Now, since I recently read a portion of a book relating to the author Leo Tolstoy, I'm reminded of a particular quote of His that seems to fit in right here, regarding the somewhat mysterious character of Enoch.  "Something had happened which was not noticed by anyone, but which was much more important than all that had been exposed to view."  (The Forged Coupon).

In Genesis 5:21-24, Enoch makes his first grand appearance in the Bible.  "When Enoch was 65 years old, Methuselah was born.  Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God after the birth of Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.  So all the days of Enoch were 365 years.  And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him]."

So, interesting to me, is that the Bible mentions Enoch only being in habitual fellowship with the Lord after the birth of his first son, Methuselah, and at that time, he was 65 years old.  The relationship he enjoyed with his creator was so significant, that after what I call, 'a year of years' - 365 to be exact, God just decided to translate him as he was, and take him home to be with Him in heaven.  How amazing is that?! There are a few clues I came across to explain why Enoch was so special that he got chosen to leave earth, so 'early' on in his life.  That alone is quite laughable I know.  But the Bible records that Enoch's father lived 962 years, and his grandfather, 895 years.  Enoch's son lived to 969 years, his grandson, 777 years, and his great grandson, Noah (the one who built the arc), lived 950 years.  So Enoch's life of 365 years was noticeably short in comparison to those who came before and after him in those times.

Now back to the clues: Hebrew 11:5 says that even before Enoch was taken to heaven, it was recorded that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God.  The very next verse says, "But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]."

I love how the Bible lays out a mystery and then immediately gives the solution to it!  The truth of the matter, is that Enoch got taken straight to heaven, without experiencing death, as a result of his intimate connection with God, which the Lord regarded as pleasing and satisfactory.  The Bible says that the only way to please God, is to have faith in Him.  To come near to Him, believing that He exists and that He rewards whomever earnestly and diligently seeks Him. Enoch's heart towards God caused him to get taken straight to heaven, and escape death on earth.

Now, of course this isn't  a way for us to earn a quick trip out of here to heaven, without facing physical death (as appealing as that may be).  The Old Testament, is regarded as a shadow and type of the New.  I believe that if we choose to live vitally connected to God through Jesus, by having His Word, continuously living in our hearts; we will experience true spiritual life, and never have to experience spiritual death. That's our lesson from Enoch.  What's more, is the life we have in Jesus, overflows with peace and joy and prosperity, into every area of our lives - as it did for all those biblical characters who lived devoted to and dependent on God.  But since we have this human nature to contend with, unless we purposefully choose to walk this way every single day, we can flip flop into the consequences of following after our own plans and ways, instead of Gods.

Let's take a lesson from Bible history, and experience the abundant life that's to be had, from purposefully, living vitally connected, in habitually fellowship with God.

Much love,

Jenny

The Purple Chair

My 10th grader son, Jordan, has been assigned a research paper for his school work.  He was given a list of literary authors and has to choose one to write about.  He must have at least seven references on the author's life, biographies that give information on how the author's life and events in his life, influenced his writings.

Jordan selected Leo Tolstoy, a Russian born literary writer.  On a return visit from the local library, I gazed at the stack of eight books, all various biographies or books which provide reference to Tolstoy's life.  I picked up one that caught my attention, it had a picture of an old fashioned, purple padded, reading chair, in front of a enormous book case, completely filled with books.  The title, TOLSTOY and the PURPLE CHAIR.  The subtitle, My Year Of Magical Reading.  The author of the book is Nina Sankovitch.

That title alone peaked my interest, so I scanned over the table of contents to find a chapter that would relate specifically to Tolstoy.  There it was, the very last chapter of the book!  'Tolstoy in My Purple Chair'.   I found out that Nina Sankovitch was a daughter of immigrant parents.  She wrote how in the war, her father had contracted tuberculosis, probably when living in a refugee camp in southern Germany.  At the age of twenty-four, he had been accepted into a prestigious medical school in Belgium, but part of the enrolment, required a medical examination.  This is where they discovered the spots on his lungs.  Forced to put medical school on hold, he was taken to a sanatorium where the healthy air of the open hills of Eupen could heal him.  This town was set among meadows and forests close to the border between Belgium and Germany.  The sanatorium he was sent to, to recover from his illness, provided a much needed pause in his life.    Nina wrote about how the patients' mornings were spent in reading novels aloud to each other, and talking.  How the meals would be large and sustaining, and in the afternoons, they would all be put up in cots on the vast veranda, wrapped up in warm blankets.  They would overlook a spectacular countryside, while being bathed in the warm sunshine and fresh, mountain air.  They spent their days making meaningful friendships with fellow patients, playing chess, reading and brushing up on their various European languages.  Nina described her father's experience at the sanatorium as, "a suspension of activity between war and peace.  A hiatus between the murders of His sisters and brothers, his forced separation from his parents and village, his months as a soldier and a refugee, and the next part of His life, the part in which he found my mother, moved to America, and welcomed the arrival, one by one, of His three girls."

I have to say, reading about that sanatorium made me long for something similar.  Basking in the sun, on a veranda in the European countryside while reading novels, making meaningful relationships, without a responsibility or care in the world, is more appealing to me than just about anything else I can think of right now.

Anyhow, back to Nina and Tolstoy. The book seems to be a story of the Sankovitch family.  Somewhere amongst all its twists and turns, Nina suffers the loss of her older sister and idol, Anna-Marie, due to a cancerous tumour during her early forties.  The girls both loved reading and would often discuss their books and favourite authors, at length.  The event of Anna-Marie's death was extremely difficult for Nina.  But somewhere, in her struggling through the pain, inspired by something her sister had said to her, she came to the decision to read one book a day for an entire year and write about what she read.  Nina describes what her experience has taught her, by explaining a novella she read by Leo Tolstoy, The Forged Coupon.  Basically, "Tolstoy examines the twists and turns that one life takes, and the impact that one person can make on the life of another."  It pretty much becomes a "pay it forward" story, where a series of circumstances all gone wrong, make a drastic change when one good and generous act sets in motion a progression of goodness.  She quoted Tolstoy, who wrote, "The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity."   

Just as her father spent two years in the sanatorium, putting his life on pause, to reboot, recharge and heal.  She explains how her year of reading one book a day, and writing about each book, did just the same for her.  Those books took her to a place where she learnt to hold onto the memories of all the beautiful moments and people in her life, to get her through difficult times.  They taught her to allow forgiveness and embrace the powerful force of love.  Through the books, she discovered how kindness is the greatest connector between us and the rest of the world.  

Perhaps what intrigued me the most about TOLSTOY and the PURPLE CHAIR, is how taking the 'time out' each day, to fill our minds with a good book, over time, can result in our lives becoming far more meaningful than we ever expected.   Now imagine if we chose to read the Word of God, every day, for a year.  If we asked the Holy Spirit to be our reading companion, to make the words come alive and soak into the depths of our soul.  To have His love and kindness touch our lives through what we read on the pages, and be washed in the freedom forgiveness and redemption bring.

The difference between reading about all the life experiences recorded in the books, and reading the Word of God, is that it is an experience in itself.  It's meeting the Living God, face to face, heart to heart; and having His life power transform who we are as people, from the inside out.

Nina's final sentence in her book reads, "I offer thanks and reverence to all the great authors I've read during the past forty-plus years and from whom I hope to keep drawing wisdom, comfort, pleasure, escape, and joy until my last breath."  I believe I can echo her sentiment, having found the life, peace and joy from reading the wisdom and truth from God's Word each day.  What a privilege to experience the joy of being transformed through the love of reading a very good book.

Much love,

Jenny

Every Word Counts!

Hello everyone,

Growing up, I remember my Dad trying to comfort me with a rhyme, after my heart had been hurt by a mean, spiteful word someone had spoken to me.  He said, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  Unfortunately, in spite of his good intentions, my dad's rhyme, couldn't be further from the truth.

You see, all words, good or bad, are like seeds.  They have the ability and potential to lodge themselves into our minds as thoughts.  They root and anchor themselves down and produce after their own kind.  

Recent medical and scientific studies have proven that our thought life directly influences our physical bodies.  If we reject a thought, before we spend time meditating on it, it will have no affect on us (which is really what my Dad was implying).   However, if we meditate on that thought, we cause it to build up a memory in our brains that becomes a mental stronghold. It has also been proven, that every thought releases a chemical response, and has an emotion attached to it as a response to that thought.  As you think on it, it carries that emotion and chemical response along a network of nerves that are directly linked to the rest of your physical body.  

Wow, are you getting this?  Every word released from our, or other's mouths, is received by our physical senses as a thought. If we pay attention to that thought, it will produce an emotional and chemical response.  That response will be carried throughout our physical bodies and depending on whether it is good and healthy, or wicked and fearful, it will produce it's very nature and intent in our lives.   It doesn't matter if the person who spoke the words meant it or not.  The hearer gets to either receive it and make it a living memory or reject it and never have it penetrate his mind or life.

Aaaagh!!!! Doesn't that make you want to THINK TWICE before you say ANY word?!  Remember this:  ALL WORDS PRODUCE THOUGHTS!  And ALL THOUGHTS AFFECT WHO WE ARE!

In a nutshell, so to speak, good, healthy thoughts produce good, healthy people; and wicked, fearful thoughts, produce wicked, unhealthy people.  Too harsh?  

Why do you think the Bible teaches us to guard our hearts with great vigilance (the state of keeping careful watch of possible danger), because out of them flow the issues of life.  Whatever we allow to attach itself to our hearts (mind), will produce in us, the same nature that flows from it.

Doesn't the Word says in Proverbs 3:26, "For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he."  And in Proverbs 17:22, "A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones."  

In light of all this, let's bring GOD'S WORD into the picture.  The Bible says that God's Word is an INCORRUPTIBLE SEED (I Peter 1:23,25)!  When it is received into our thoughts and meditated on, it produces after its nature (God's own nature), bringing peace and life and healing with it!    As we meditate on it, it carries it's never failing, ever lasting, power into every area of our lives - chemically and emotionally affecting EVERYTHING in our physical bodies!  

That's why Proverbs 4:20 says, "...For they (God's Words) are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh."

Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS."

As we make an asserted effort and a conscious decision to take God's Word of truth, and meditate on it, we cause it to become a rooted memory in our minds that has the supernatural peace and life of God attached to it.  Every time we think on it, it produces and transmits that peace and life attached to it, to every part of our physical bodies - bringing healing and peace and well being.  

This vital connection between God's Word in our minds, and the affect it has on our physical bodies, becomes the proof and evidence of His Spirit at work in our lives!  So read it, meditate on it and speak it!  Then LIVE in the peace and life it produces!

Much love,

Jenny

Pay Attention!

Hello everyone,  

Lately I've felt such an urgency in my spirit to dig deeper and get more of the Word of God into my heart.  I have an overwhelming sense that there is treasure there that is of absolute necessity for my life.  It made me think of that scripture in Mark 4 that tells us to pay attention to the Word, because if we don't, we are bound to miss out on something that is vitally important to our well being!

Look at what Mark 4:22,23 in the Message Bible, says, "We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things, we're bringing them out into the open.  "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"  When you read that, do you feel that urgency too?

Over the past couple of days, I have been spending time watching teachings by Jeremy Pearsons (Pearsons Ministries International) and Dr. Michelle Strydom.  What a feast it has been!  I highly recommend you visiting their ministries on line and plugging into their teachings.  It will be well worth your while.

While Dr. Michelle Strydom speaks of the living CONNECTION between our thought life and our physical bodies; Jeremy speaks about the intimate CONNECTION we have with the Spirit of God and the EVIDENCE that connection has in our lives.

Do you see the Word CONNECTION here?  More than anything, I would love for you to see the vital link between the Living, Word of God and it's essential affect in and on our lives.  Without it, we simply can't and won't live lives that are meaningful or of any real worth.

Let me take you back to Mark 4:24,25, in the Amplified version this time, it says, "And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.  For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away [by force],"

And now look at John 15:5, "I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing."

Let me paraphrase: If we pay careful attention to the Word of God and purposefully take the time to really think about it, we CONNECT ourselves with a vital part of God Himself.  This CONNECTION PRODUCES qualities that are evidence (fruit) of God's life that goes to work in our lives. WITHOUT THIS CONNECTION, WE CAN DO NOTHING that is of eternal value or worth. 

So let's dig deeper, and really pay attention to the Word of God we read and receive into our hearts - it has the power to change everything about us and produce the evidence of His Spirit being at work in us!

Much love,

Jenny

Replacing Fear with Faith

Hello everyone,

I once heard someone say there are three kinds of people in life.  Those who take risks and make things happen; those who stand by and watch things happen; and those who miss it all and wonder, "what on earth just happened?".   

Not sure which group you belong to, but to be perfectly honest, risk taking is not something I would list as my 'thing'.  I love to feel secure and settled and established in a well thought out, long term plan.  Routine is my comfort zone.  Sound boring?  Well, in spite of what makes me feel 'safe' in life, I married a man who loves to live on the edge of every boundary line.  As much as not taking risks works for me, risk taking is exactly what makes him tick!  He is always pushing through new boundaries, exploring new avenues, forever reaching forward into what 'normal' people would call impossible.  And we have found a way to pioneer together through life like this for just over 25 years!

So to say I have had to expand and extend my mental and spiritual faith boundaries over the years, is no exaggeration.  From the time we were married there has never been 'normal' or 'ordinary'.  That's why I have found the Word of God and intimate prayer, to be my life source.  It's become my safe place, that keeps me rooted and anchored to the truth of who I am in my God, and what His plan is for me.

In Sue Detweiler's book Women Who Move Mountains, she writes that to be a woman of faith in prayer, will require you to take risks.  In our walk of faith, we can expect to constantly face unknowns.  Sometimes, you and I need to step out and obey God in spite of our fear.  Perhaps the most rewarding part of the journey is finding the security we need in the person of Jesus.  He becomes our constant, and not the 'safety nets' we feel we need all around us.

Taking risks and venturing out of our comfort zones, when we are obeying God's voice, can be scary.  I have felt like I'm constantly having to fight thoughts of fear of the unknown in order to press on in faith and peace.  I read something in Sue's book that hit its mark in my heart.  "We don't have a fear problem (as much as) we have a faith problem.  It's not about fearing less; it's about believing more."   Fear is a destructive force but faith brings peace and life.  And we can control which force dominates our lives!

Sue explains how replacing fear with faith is a moment by moment choice to anchor our confidence in Jesus.  By being fearful and anxious, we are actually declaring that we can't fully trust God to care about the details of our lives.  We must learn to choose God's perspective on how to think and speak over our situations.  

Where to begin?  We renew our minds to think and see like God does!  Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.".   Today, choose to begin the process of replacing your fear with faith.  Go straight to Jesus, sit at His feet, and lay your head on His lap.  Let Him pour His love and comfort into your heart and listen to His Word of truth.  Believe that He is everything you need in this life.  And know, that every deliberate step you take towards knowing Him more intimately, will cause you to walk in His favour and grace.  There is a great reward for diligently seeking the Lord - your life will show it as you replace every fearful thought with faith!

Much love, 

Jenny

The Great Transformers

Hello everyone,

This week I picked up a book that has been on my bedside table for weeks, just waiting for me to find the time and opportunity to pick it up and read it.  Does that sound familiar to you?  Life just gets so full of pressing, important 'things' to do, that precious little time is left for us to indulge in the luxury of reading for pleasure.

Right now, you may be imagining that novel, or documentary, or whatever reading treasure you have just sitting there, within reach, but not yet opened and read.   The sad reality is, that book, for most of us, could very well be our Bibles.  We know full well how important the Word of God is to our lives, and how it has the power to transform everything about us once we get it's wisdom into our hearts and minds.  But to get the time to really do it justice....

Sadly, the greatest motivator in life is desperation.  We normally wait for things to get so tough or out of control, before we turn to the Word for guidance or help.  For many Christians, it becomes the last resort, more than the constant, trusted companion.  Hey, I'm not judging, I'm the first to admit that desperation is what urged me to up my gain on making spending time in God's Word a priority, and many times, it's what keeps me rooted to its wisdom.

This is the heart of the matter - our confidence in life is in God.  Our hope for life, is in God.  Our source of life, peace, joy, health, wisdom and everything needed to live a fulfilled, satisfied life - is God.  It's not in ourselves or our impressive, busy schedules.  In truth, it's when we come to the end of ourselves that we find God.  Acts 17:28

The book I was referring to in the beginning of my letter is called Women Who Move Mountains, by Sue Detweiler.  It's essentially a book that takes your hand, and leads you to pray effective prayers, with confidence, boldness and grace.  And I am LOVING it!  Go to www.SueDetweiler.com to find out more.

In her book, Sue Detweiler, likens spending time with God as coming toward the light.  When we need assurance, or direction and feel like we are fumbling around in the dark - prayer and God's Word bring a light to our path so we know which way to go.  

What really grabbed my attention was the parallel I saw between her description of the transforming power of prayer and what I have found about the transforming power of God's Word.  I believe that coupled together, prayer and reading God's Word, become THE most powerful tools available to change our lives from the inside out!  Together, they are what I call, THE GREAT TRANSFORMERS!

Coming to God in prayer and embracing His wisdom in His Word, is what begins the great exchange in our lives.  He replaces our confusion with peace and our fear with faith.   And it's that faith that gives us the authority to speak to the mountains in our lives and see them move.

Until our next letter, why not pick up that Book of powerful, life-giving wisdom and prayerfully mediate on these treasures: Proverbs 3:1-8, Philippians 4:6-7, Roman 12:2, and John 14:21, 23.

Much love,

Jenny

Pursue Peace

Hello everyone,

Are you battling to walk in peace with someone lately?  It's as though they have a way of upsetting you, making you feel misunderstood.  Or maybe you're just struggling to resist being offended with them.  In many cases, it's someone we deal with on a regular basis, either a spouse, a sibling, a colleague at work, or even a friend.  Well, I'm sure in your frustration, you've often prayed that the Lord would deal with their hearts and attitudes, show them the light, so you can just enjoy PEACE between the two of you.

The beauty of having a healthy, fulfilling relationship with the Lord, is that He DOES always have a plan or way to bring every stressful situation in our lives into peace.  Truth be told, most times it involves a work or change in our hearts and attitudes first.  Now, before you let out that grumble, let me remind you that God IS GOOD and all His ways are PERFECT, and always lead us into TRIUMPH!  When we are WILLING and OBEDIENT to follow His wisdom, the benefits FAR outweigh the momentary discomfort of adjusting and adopting it to our lives.

So, having said that, take a look at Hebrews 12:14, "Strive to live in peace with everybody..."  That Word strive is also translated as follow.  Both words come from a Greek word meaning to go after something with great determination.  Even to pursue after something deliberately and intentionally.

So when the scripture tells us to strive or follow after peace with all men, I think it's safe to say that sometimes, in our dealings with others, peace doesn't just come naturally.  No matter how challenging or difficult the other person may seem, God makes it clear that as believers, it's our responsibility to do something about it.   We may not be responsible for what the other person does or says, but we are responsible for what we do, especially knowing God requires us to intentionally and deliberately GO AFTER PEACE.

How do we do that?  Well its certainly not going to come from our own strength is it.  The Bible says in Romans 5:5, that the LOVE of God is poured abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Who is in us.  So we are not going to depend on our love, we are going to draw from His, which is already inside of us!  It's only a decision away.  When we go before the Lord and ask Him to show us how to really see others through His eyes and with His love, the shift inside us comes. 

In fact, when we allow God's love to flow through us, two significant things happen.  According to 1 John 4:12, choosing to love others with God's love causes His love to 'run its full course' in us!  We actually activate and empower the full extent and supernatural ability of God's love to work in us.  

And according to 1 John 4:18, God's full grown, perfect love in our hearts, drives all fear and dread out of our lives!   Meaning, when we love others with God's love, we love FREELY, without the fear of rejection or failure!  

Decide to pursue peace with all people, by loving them with God's love, it will produce more joy and peace and freedom from fear than you ever bargained for!

Much love,

Jenny