Finding the Missing PeaceНамуна

DAY 4 - Peace in the Neighbourhood

I love word games, whether it is Scrabble, Bananagrams or Words with Friends. What I like most about playing these games is being able to look at a word and piece together other words from it. For example, when you look at the word community, you can piece together: "Common - Unity".

The book of Ephesians was written so that the churches surrounding that area may have a better idea of what it means to live like Jesus. Paul’s main theme throughout the entire book is this idea of common unity. 

He writes in Ephesians 4:3, that we have been called to “bear with one another in love doing our best to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. 

There is a peace that comes when we are living in common unity, because we were designed for community. 

This idea that Paul is presenting can be a lot easier to talk about than it is to do. We can often be angry with the people who are around us, or we can hold a grudge when we feel like we’ve been done wrong by someone. This breeds disunity within any community. 

Paul encourages us to put away bitterness because, in Christ, we have a new way of thinking. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you”.

We are called to live in unity within our neighbourhood. As we focus on Christ and come to a deeper realisation that God has forgiven us, we will become more open to laying aside bitterness and anger so that peace may be shown in common unity.

Questions: 

(1) What is holding you back from creating unity in your neighbourhood that you should set aside? 

(2) Who is someone in your neighbourhood that you could reach out to in order to bring peace and unity?

Prayer: 

Lord, thank you that you are the perfect role model of a unified community. Holy Spirit, weave in and through me a passionate love for others and remove any bitterness or anger from my heart. In Jesus' Name. Amen.