Most people don't realize that waging peace is more challenging than waging war!
Treasure Digest
Pursuing Peace: The Unity of the Spirit
Most people don't realize that waging peace is more challenging than waging war!
Notice the emphasis that Paul places upon peace in Ephesians 4:1-3. "I...beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
The word endeavoring is the key word. In Greek it means, "to exert oneself, to give diligence." Notice how endeavor is translated in modern translations: "Making every effort" (Modern English BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.), "be zealous in love" (Moffatt), "spare no effort" (New English BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.), "make it your aim" (Phillips) and "do all you can" (Jerusalem BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.).
We have to work at peace—we must make it our goal and do all we can do to bring it about.
Most people do not realize that peace has a price. We know that war has a price. Are we willing to pay the price for peace? What is that price? It is our willingness to take an undeserved loss.
Taking a loss is repugnant to human nature. Carnal nature is focused on the self—on our selfish wants and desires. This is one of the chief reasons we sometimes have strife, hard feelings and even division among brethren in the Church.
Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is a part of God's nature. Author John Andrew Holmes once stated, "Yes, we love peace, but we are not willing to take wounds for it, as we are for war."
Excerpted from "What Price Peace?" by Roy Holladay, July 2001 United News, page 7, www.ucg.org/un/un0107/peace.html .
