Everyday Prayers for PeaceÀpẹrẹ

Reaping and Sowing

A dear friend of mine is estranged from her family. Every year at Christmastime, she sends an invitation for them to come to her house to celebrate…and every year, they don’t show up. Christmas is a time of peace. It’s written everywhere. From signs on the road to songs on the radio, “Peace on earth” slogans abound and cause us to hope for something we haven’t quite found yet. So it is with my friend. If ever there was a time to hope for peace in her family, it was at Christmas. So she invites them, and they don’t come.

I asked her once why she keeps asking, keeps inviting, and her answer reminded me of the reaping and sowing principle we see throughout Scripture. What you put in, you get back out…generally. In her case, making peace available to her family, even when she knows they may not take it, is her part of the job. Her door is open, and the offer of peace is on the table. She sows and hopes that one day, she’ll reap. Maybe it’ll be next Christmas, and maybe it won’t. Maybe each year, she’s planting a seed of peace that will grow until her family’s hearts are open to reconciliation and forgiveness. That’s what she’s praying for, but if it never happens, she can rest in knowing that she’s sown in faith and tended in prayer. The rest is up to God.

The truth is, there will be people we can’t get along with—at least not for more time than it takes to have Christmas dinner—but that doesn’t mean we don’t invite them over for Christmas dinner and plant a seed of peace. There will be relationships in our lives that bear fruit only if we do the hard work of getting along, at least attempting to treat each other “with dignity and honor.” That’s the way it is because we’re sinners. There will be hurts that make us want to hurt back, but God’s Word is clear: we’re to make peace instead.

Father, give us the desire to do the right thing, even if the favor isn’t returned, sowing seeds of peace in our lives dark, troubled places. Over time, Lord, we pray that You will grow those seeds, produce fruit that glorifies Your name, and produce a harvest of righteousness in Your people.

We hope this Plan encouraged you.

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