Personal Log 11.12.21

So, awhile back something upset me.

That was a little unusual as I've been pretty laid back & easy-going lately (as in the last year or so). I've been developing a pretty thick skin, not allowing my feelings to be hurt about anything & really applying the “oil of gladness” so that offenses just slide right off… but this was different. 

I had had enough of a certain ongoing situation in my fellowship that was draining people & quite simply what I thought was taking advantage of them. 18 months ago I had foreseen that this situation would be the result & now it was coming to fruition. So I sat down & wrote a firey email to my pastor about it & as I was about to hit the “send” button I paused for a minute & heard the Holy Spirit say, “no”. It wasn't an angry “no” nor a firm “no”, just a simple, soft “no” almost like He said it w/ a reassuring smile. 

I immediately deleted the email. 

A couple of days later I revisited that moment & was glad that I was obedient. If I had sent it, what good would it have done? My pastor already had/has a full plate & that would have added to it, it may have also caused some division & in the [slightly] longer run, these things have a way of running their course and/or working themselves out. 

More recently, I got into a slight verbal altercation w/ someone on a Sunday morning right before service. Now, this “someone” is a man that I'm learning to grow in agape love toward. He's opinionated, critical & hard-headed but he also has a servant's heart, a tender heart & loves God. We differ on some [well, many] things & to be honest, the problem between us may be as simple as just boiling down to semantics. However, right before worship service, we clashed once again & I yelled at him. 

No one I know agrees 100% w/ everyone on everything, whether that's politics, theology, whatnot. It is hard though when someone is locked into a religious mindset but regardless, we're commanded to pursue peace w/ all people. 

Hebrews 12:14 – 15 “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled...”

“Pursue” in the Greek is diōkō = to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after, to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavor to acquire. Those are the positive uses of the word, but it's mostly translated as “persecuted” & means this = in any way whatever to harass, trouble, molest one; to pursue (in a hostile manner).

The takeaway could be this: do whatever it takes to make peace, be aggressive if to have to be in that pursuit. Be serious about it.

If that means listening to the voice of the Lord & deleting an unsent email then do it. If that means making up w/ someone you don't agree w/ then do it. Just do it. Though we as Christians are blessed (Ephesians 1:3) there is another blessing in pursuing peace:

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.”

It's interesting that the very next verse contains the word diōkō: Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”