SEPTEMBER 30

2 Corinthians 13:11

                 LIVE IN PEACE

No man is an island. You are surrounded by people at home, in school and elsewhere. How is your relationship with them? As Paul exhorted the church members to live in harmony with one another, this is the same message he has for you.

Have you ever played with dominoes? Dominoes are small blocks of wood that you place in a line. When the front domino is pushed over, the block behind it will hit the next block as it falls. How can you stop the whole row from falling? You take one domino out of the row.

A quarrel or an argument is like a row of dominoes. Are you quarrelsome? Imagine this situation: You speak harshly to a person, he hits back at you with harsh words, and you both exchange unkind words. To stop the argument, don’t say angry words, or to say something kind, or just say nothing. In any of these ways, the quarrel will end.

In Proverbs, we learn how an argument can go on or can end. To end an argument, you give a __________ answer. To provoke more arguing is to say __________ words. (Proverbs 15:1) “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24).

The apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthian Christians to live in peace among themselves. Christians must get along with one another. We must avoid fighting, quarrelling, envying, backbiting, gossiping and so on.

God is the God of love and peace. He is the author of peace and lover of concord. He has loved us and is willing to be at peace with us. He commands us to love Him, and that we love one another. God will love those who love peace.

Thought: Christians must get along with others. What must we not do in order to keep peace with each other?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and for being willing to be make peace with us through Jesus Christ. When we can’t get along with someone, help us to be willing to make peace and love him or her, because You are our greatest example. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.