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Hello Family,
How important is winning to you? What will you sacrifice for it? What will you suffer for it or do for it? Sometimes our desire to win overshadows our desire to be pleasing to God. The Apostle Paul suggests that we should live in peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18) The writer of the book of Hebrews teaches that believers should pursue peace with all people and strive to live Holy lives. So why is it that some of us find it difficult to get along even in the church? The answer to that question is summed up in these words: “Walk in the light." By this, I am encouraging us to walk in the light of Jesus Christ. So the answer to our challenges with one another is clear to me. Whenever two believers cannot agree, somebody is not walking in the light. If we tried to pursue peace and to live in peace with all, we would have less squabbles and disagreements with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We must relinquish our need to win because it is truly not of God. God desires for us to live in peace and sometimes living in peace means that we surrender our will for the will of God and out desires for God's desires. There is no mandate that believers always win. In fact, in order for Christ to get the victory in our lives, we must be willing to surrender and be broken before Him. It is only then that he can shape us and mold us as he desires.
What challenges are you facing in your life today? Perhaps you need to begin by surrendering your will to Christ today. Acknowledge your faults and failings to an Unfailing God, whose desire it is that you experience His peace. Once you surrender your will, you will be able to more clearly see His will for you and for your life. Then, you will be able to live a life of peace surrendered to God's will and surrounded by God's love...the love that He showed to us in Jesus Christ. Remember, the victory belongs to Jesus.
Walk in the Light,
Pastor Jerome M. Hurst