Jump Start # 3064

Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

  Our verse today is found in the midst of trouble. The previous verse says, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone…” The verse that follows our verse today says, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God…” The setting isn’t one of fond memories. Evil, revenge, pay backs, wrath—things were stirred up and the saints of God were troubled. Someone has hurt them. Jesus wants the golden rule. We want to smack the person back.

  Hollywood has been buzzing ever since the Oscars when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for a joke that seemed to go to far. Some are supporting what happened. Others are outraged. A poor example was set before the world. Few people even watch the Oscar ceremonies any more. Most couldn’t tell you much about this year’s show other than “the slap in the face.” That won’t go away, nor will it be forgotten. Some are demanding that Will Smith’s Oscar be taken from him. The person who tries to do that might get slapped!

  All of this presents a setting for us for our verse. Let’s put some thought to this:

  First, if possible. That’s conditional. Sometimes it’s not possible. Russia isn’t interested in talking peace. They want Ukraine. Wars happen. Fights take place. Friendships end. And, the reason is, some are not interested in doing what is right. Some do not want peace. Some want war. Some want their way.

  Second, so far as it depends on you. This puts us in the driver’s seat. Rather than pointing our finger at the other person and saying, ‘I’m only reacting to the way he treated me,’ we must take the lead. As far as it depends upon you. If you can have peace, have it.

  Now, this means, I’m going to let some things slide by without a response, comment or rebuttal. You can engage in every single skirmish that comes your way and you may lose the war. You may lose your reputation. You may kill your influence. You may not ever be considered a gentle person, nor one with a kind heart, as the Lord wants. And, in the end, you might even lose your soul. Every disagreement, every opinion, every thing you don’t like, if are you there voicing your objections, you will have violated this passage. We know co-workers who are just like this. They jump in other people’s arguments just because they thrive on controversy and stirring things up. They like to be heard. Loud, obnoxious, and out of place, everyone knows them. So there will be things people say, even brethren, and I will let it go. It’s not the time, it’s not the place, and it won’t result in peace. And, in the big scheme of things, it doesn’t matter.

  The “possible” and the “depends on you” are understood to deal with personal battles and not digression from God’s Word. Error has no toleration. We do not put up with Satan for a moment. There comes a time to speak out, draw the line in the sand, and let the chips fall, because we stand with the Lord. That’s not within the context here. Here, it’s something that someone says to me. It’s something outside the Bible. It’s politics. It’s economy. It’s masks. It’s things I like and things I don’t like. It’s not even advice. Evil, revenge, paying back all points to someone hurting you in some way. What happened may have bruised your feelings. It may have stepped on your pride. It may have angered you. You were excluded and not invited. Gossip does this.

  We all know the expression, “pushing buttons.” Kids are good at that. They know just how to get mom upset. Some excel in that. There are adults that like to push buttons. There are brethren that like to push our buttons. Will we continue to fellowship? Will we continue to be in unity? Will I make a big deal out of no deal. So, some careless and thoughtless person said something unkind. Can you be at peace? So, you were overlooked, again. Can you be at peace?

  It takes a big person with a Christ-like character to not let all those things eat at us. We preachers have to have thick skin and egos that can be stepped on. Otherwise, most of us would have quit long ago.

  Third, be at peace with all men. For this to happen, one must let go and not file the hurts in your memory bank. The longer we stew upon those things, the worse we feel and the more we feel like declaring war rather than being at peace. As long as we continue to think about, tell others about, and dwell upon the hurts done to us, we will never be at peace. Our insides will be upset. We must remember, early in the Lord’s sermon, He blessed those who were peacemakers. Many love peace. Some want peace. We need peace. But to make peace, means in an environment where peace doesn’t exist, it is created. Contextually, Jesus is driving at our peace with God. We cannot have an outward peace until there is an upward peace. Peace must be vertical before it can be horizontal.

  Peacemakers…that’s a tough role to play. Some irritate because they want trouble. When you let it go and you give it to the Lord, you are the better person.

  Will Smith apologized for the Oscar slap. Yet, the world won’t let this rest. That’s the trouble with trouble. It doesn’t go away quietly.

  If possible, as far as it depends upon you…great challenge God puts before us.

  Roger

Jump Start # 3009

Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

I’ve been reading, “The Heart of the Yale Lectures,” by Baxter. A statement caught my attention. “Sixty generations after Jesus the people of the world are still unable to live together in peace.” What a sad, profound and true statement that is. This past year our country saw many riots. Hatred, division and the inability to discuss differences mark our times. To disagree with someone means you will be labeled, mocked, called names and isolated. The world is still unable to live together in peace.

Why is it that way?

First, it’s not for a lack of example and instruction. Jesus illustrated getting along nearly every step of the way. Among the chosen apostles were opposites. A zealot. A tax collector. Beyond that, Jesus purposely traveled to Samaria. He went to the home of a tax collector. He touched and healed lepers. He allowed an immoral woman to wash his feet with her tears. Jesus healed Gentiles. He sent His chosen into all the world with the mission to preach to every person. The early church was a mixture of Jew and Gentile. It brought both master and slave together. The saving message of Jesus Christ is the bond that breaks the divisions that existed.

But the world ignores Jesus. The world thinks it is smarter than Jesus. And, yet, all these generations later, we cannot live in peace. Several nations would love to remove Israel from the map and the history of the world. In major cities today, it is dangerous. Criminals do not wait for the cover of darkness. Not anymore. They are brazen and bold. Car jackings, shootings, smash and grab happen so often, they rarely make the news. The standard is before us, but the world ignores it. And, by ignoring Jesus, life sinks deeper into ruin. Fear. Worry. Prejudice. Hatred. Those are common today. Without Jesus, life isn’t getting better, it’s getting far worse. The moral decay of our times is a stench that reaches up to Heaven.

Second, our verse puts a responsibility upon the disciples of Christ. If possible and as far as it depends on you—that puts the ball in our hands. We can’t change others, but we can certainly calm situations down and be peaceful.

Now, just how does one go about being peaceful?

First, don’t push the buttons of others and don’t pick scabs off of wounds. Some people are just waiting for a fight and all you have to do is knock on the door of their heart by saying the wrong thing and you’ll be in the middle of World War III. Don’t do that. Remember kindness. Remember your tone. Remember the Golden Rule. Some do not want to discuss openly, they want to argue meanly. Stay away from those one sided discussions. Your tone. Your attitude. The way you talk to others. The way you talk about others. Your opinions. All of that matters and you must be careful. Now, it seems that everyone else can say what they want, but you can’t. Everyone else can be rude, obnoxious, opinionated, out of line and allowed to push buttons but you can’t. That’s right. Everyone else is causing dog fights. You are living under the principle of as much as possible, be at peace with all men.

Are there exceptions? Certainly. But not to be loud, out of place, rude or ugly. Those should never be named among the people of God. But some village idiot trash talking God, His word or His people may get a response. Not loud. Not ugly. But a well thought out statement that doesn’t attack the person, but defends the Lord may be appropriate. It also may be nothing more than casting pearls among the swine and a waste of time.

Second, many people reveal their ignorance and prejudice when they are upset, angry and trying to defend themselves. Social media is a huge illustration of this. Read the comments that some post. Amazing. Rude. Offensive. And, a large percentage of them, wrong. If you read enough of them, your blood pressure rises, you get upset and you feel compelled to respond. Then that person responds. And, his response isn’t nice. Just don’t read the comments. That will avoid much of this.

Third, when dealing with brethren, be the first to apologize and be quick to extend grace. It’s hard to have an argument when the other person won’t argue. Be at peace. You may be wrong. Be willing to listen, learn and change. The other person may be wrong. His feet may be dug in and he will not change. You know. God knows. Let it go.

It’s harder to be at peace with the world. The world goes by their own rules. The world is inconsistent. The world lies. The world bends the rules. But as much as possible, be at peace with the world. There is an old Nigerian proverb that says, “When two elephants fight, the grass suffers.” Our hearts suffers. Our families suffer. Our congregations may suffer. You might win the elephant fight, but what was the cost of winning? In winning, what did you lose?

Fourth, remember the Paul that wrote these words also told Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith.”  There is a balance. Paul told the Philippians that he was set for the defense of the Gospel. He told Titus that elders would have to silence the mouths of false brethren. The Romans were told to mark those who cause dissensions. It’s not one or the other, it’s both.

Throughout your life you will have people telling you how you ought to do things. You need to do this, they will say. You smile. You think about it. Then you go about doing what you think the Lord wants you to do. When I first started preaching, I had a preacher insist that I move every four years. You have to do this, he told me. It didn’t make sense then and it doesn’t make sense today. I didn’t argue. He was older than I was. I listened. I didn’t agree. I didn’t move every four years.

As far as it depends upon you…if it is up to you…do all that you can do…to be at peace with all men. Work at it. Work hard at it.

Roger