Living In Peace

Living In Peace "Lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." 1st Timothy 2:2 I am amazed at all the trouble that many Christians seem to be dealing with in today's world. They can't get along with their neighbors, their coworkers, friends, and often their own family members. There always seems to be disagreements that often lead to broken relationships. The Bible tells us that we aren't to isolate ourselves from the world in which we live, but to live in it in peace. We are part of society, and we share in the harmony, and also in the difficulties and problems. The Bible tells us much about how we are to handle our social responsibility. The Old Testament prophets condemned those who ignored the poor and those who exploited the weak. As Christians, we know that our society is more affected by sin than at most other times in our history, and our efforts can make a difference in someone's life. We must all make an effort to alleviate whatever suffering we can, and also must make an effort to be an example of what a Christian should be. We are to lead a quiet and peaceable life, but not neglect others that we encounter, who are in need. The Bible tells us that we are to love others as we love ourselves, which means that we are to be concerned about others, their needs and also help with their problems. We are not to be enablers, but when others have troubles, we are to be there for them. God loves our suffering world and tells us in Matthew 9:36 "Jesus saw the crowds and was moved with compassion." We are to be compassionate for the suffering around us, just as Jesus was, and reach out and show our compassion. We must learn to do this at the same time as we are teaching others to also live in peace with all godliness and reverence. My Daily Devotional Volume Six June 27 Robert William Brock, Jr.