The Devotional - 08

The Devotional - 08

Comment:

Neighbors ought to always be a blessing, oh but the stories we all have of the man, woman or family next door. Should I say that I once had a neighbor in Hawaii whose son was learning to play the guitar? The only song he could play and sing (?) was “Don’t step on my blue swede shoes”. After some time (months) it was no longer cute, we were having an acute case of ill respect for the neighbor’s lack of consideration for the rest of the neighborhood who was subjected to the loud noise of speakers blaring between 3 and 5 pm. This was fifty years ago yet very near the top five of the most aggravating seasons of my past. I was not a good neighbor; yet the man of that family was a neighbor, in a time of need… he was there for me when things were dangerous for me. It was not that dangerous, but he stepped in and took the brunt of the problem on himself because as a native Hawaiian he understood the problem, I did not.

Challenge:

Holding one’s peace in the things that cause us to become unraveled is hard for most people. Even if they do not speak openly about the anger it still rages within them. Being at peace with people around us is hard. What is the cause for all of this inward behavior and sometimes outward roar from our lips? Defilement of character is more than what we digest in life, defilement of character comes from the stuff that falls first from our heart and then off of our lips; Matthew 15:1-20.

Proverbs 11:12 NKJV – He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace.

Proverbs 11:12 NIV – A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.

How much trouble we cause our relatives, neighbors, friends and co-workers will never be measured by the cubit or the ruler. But there is a measurement, one that we seldom use called “peace”. People ought to always experience peace around us, if not the trouble is huge. God has given us the wisdom through His Word to live peacefully with others. The problem could be that even with that wisdom, we lack the understanding to be peaceful.

The battle for peace really is not waged with those around us, but it is waged and lost by what goes on within the heart. Note James 4:1-10. I want that noise to stop, so I laid out the foundation in my mind to stop it. I got others in the neighborhood to agree and soon I had more than one, even a half dozen on my side. Thus, I am right and the neighboring noise maker is wrong.

We failed to go in peace, we took up friendship with the world rather than seeking peace and friendship with the neighbor. The effects were more quarreling and fighting, our motives fueled the flame instead of putting out the fire. The avenue of being a peacemaker never intersected the dead end street of worldliness. Of course, in those days none of us understood that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, but today many know how to be a peacemaker and yet we still fail to be humble.