Last night I spoke downtown at the “Pearl.” We are in a series called, “World Changers” and it is based on the Beatitudes taught by Jesus in Matthew 5. I focused last night on being a PeaceMAKER. I did a top ten list and many of those attending asked for a copy, so here it is:
YOU KNOW YOU AREN’T A PEACEMAKER IF…
10. …You friends call you “Road Rage Rhonda†and you don’t seem to understand why.
9. …You find yourself having heated arguments with ‘that’ person when no one is around.
8. …Are walking the long way around the sanctuary to avoid ‘that person’, but you tell your friends you just staying committed to you new Richard Simmons Exercise program.
7. …You converted the picture of your boss to a Dart board and throwing darts daily as your personal devotions.
6. …You catch yourself beating up the pillows on your couch while watching, “The Office.â€
5. …Your blood pressure is 200/160… on a good day.
4. …Send baking powder to one of your teachers in the mail and write the word “anthrax†on the envelope.
3. …Anonymously sign up your irritating co-worker for monthly shipment of expensive cigars from the “Havanna Cigar Clubâ€
2. …You send a text to your best friend telling them how excited you are that the creep who lives next door got pulled over by the police.
1. …You subconsciously draw horns and a tail on the pastor’s picture in the bulletin during his message because he didn’t say hi to you six years ago.
I want you to be really honest for a moment. How has the current global unrest affected you? Gas prices soaring and then plummeting (thank God I can fill my car up for under $60 again), Stock market going up and down daily, wars, political ads and campaigns (yahoo, only a week more), no jobs, house prices falling, etc. It is just a real interesting time.
The cool thing is that IF, and I say if, you have a deep, real relationship with Christ, you have the solution to leave a peaceable life, regardless of what the world throws at you. Your peace is not dependent upon the economy. You peace is not based on how much money is in your bank account. You peace doesn’t come from how many friends you have. Peace comes from within. It is not an external source that brings peace, but from Christ who is in you.
Next time you feel a little anxious, depressed or lonely, stop looking around you and start looking in you to the one that will give you peace in all things. Philippians 4:6-7 says, ” Don’t worry about anything; intead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” You can live a peaceable life today.
I was reading through a magazine today and found a cool fact regarding the ocean. It both encouraged me and challenged regarding the depth of my relationship with Christ during testing times. It said, “Oceanographers say the sea remains tranquil below twenty-five feet. No matter how bad the storm rages on top of the ocean, the waters are peaceful down deep.” The Christian finds peace in the same place–down deep. Shallow faith leaves you anxious and fearful when the storms arise, but a deep and stable faith provides tranquility in the midst of severe and threatening storms. How deep are you?
I just received a call from my youngest daughter Elisa, “It’s a girl!” I was so excited and got choked up knowing that I will get my first grand-daughter (yahoo!). I have three grandsons who I love with all my heart, but it is cool that we get to add a little princess to the family as well. Wow, life comes at you fast. It seems like yesterday that I was raising two little girls and trying to teach them how to jump rope. Now, just a few short years later and alot less hair (don’t laugh now), I am looking back on some life lessons and realizing that how I did as a parent is really not measured in how my kids did, but how my grandkids are doing.
It is one thing to raise kids to love God. It is another thing to raise kids that grow up and love God and pass that love on to the next generation. Everyone of us should set our sites on reproducing everything we get from God so that it will not only be received by someone, but that it will be contagious enough that it is passed on to the next generation.
Paul told Timothy, “Find faithful men and teach them, to in turn do likewise.” He was saying make sure that you pass it forward not just ‘to’ someone, but ‘through’ someone. What this world needs now is young people that are passionate about passing God’s values and principles to others that will pass it on to others. It is not good enough for us to just receive something and then hold onto for ourselves, but that we pass it on so that others may become all God wants them to become as well.
Can I ask you a REAL question? Do you have any spiritual grandchildren? Do they reflect the principles of God that you passed down? I don’t believe you can really be truly successful in your Christian walk UNTIL you have spiritual grandchildren (OUCH!). Can I ask another question and this one might be a little tougher to swallow. Why are you even here on planet earth? It is to know him and make him known…period. Can I challenge you to make some adjustments in your world to be one that passes on God’s purposes to others that will in turn pass it on the world. I double-dog dare you!
