“Gain the Proper Perspective on Society”

peace with God. But having made his personal peace with God, he is now called to be a peacemaker; and a peacemaker must do three things:

A. He must observe the peace.

Just because I have peace with God doesn’t mean that I am always at peace with God. When I align myself with that which is in opposition to God, I fail to observe the peace or live by the peace that is mine in Christ.

“If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.” - James 4:4 (NLT)

Paul tells us that to observe the peace, we must not look to the world or the things offered by the world to bring us fulfillment; but instead, our focus needs to be on God.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” - Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

Picture, if you will, a massive hurricane raging over the ocean. On the surface of the sea the violent winds whip the water into giant waves and create a scene of havoc and chaos. Yet, a mere twenty-five feet below the sur¬face, the waters are clear and calm. The fish there go on living their lives totally unaware of the thunderous tumult just above them.

The point is that where there is “depth,” there is peace. So it is in the Christian life. We observe the peace as we seek daily to deepen our walk with God and our trust in God.

B. He must keep the peace.

No only does one observe the peace by maintaining his focus on God, but he likewise, keeps the peace by encouraging his fellow peacemakers to maintain their focus on God.

“Make every effort (literally, “strive like a warrior”) to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” - Ephesians 4:3-6; 29-30 (NIV)

I read an article where the writer said that as a former basketball player, he was a disappointed when his daughter decided to drop hoops and take up cross-country running. But he decided it’s a great sport. One of the reasons I’ve grown to appreciate the 5K races is the encouragement that accompanies the event.

In most sports, it’s easy for fans to grow critical of the partici¬pants. You hear things like, “Come on, quit taking such bad shots!” Or “Hey, can’t you hit a curve ball?”

But he had discovered that in cross¬ country, encouragement is the norm. From the fans lining the course, you hear things like, “Nice job! Way to run!” Or “Go! You can do it!” Even last-place runners get cheers, not jeers. In 3 years of watching his daughter run, he said he haven’t heard one discouraging word from the spectators.

The Christian life is a long-distance race. As fellow believers discipline themselves to run that race, they need encouragement. What are you doing to encourage