“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

One of the sure ways to stumble off the straight and narrow is to become embroiled in worldly strife. The child of God is to be a peacemaker, which implies that the child must be at peace with mankind himself. Peace is not always easy. This is one of those ‘as much as you can’ assignments. Do not be a peace breaker. Agree with your opponent when you can. Don’t think you always have to win, always get the last word in.

I remember only one serious break in my relationship with my oldest sister. The argument we were in was unsolvable due to different points of view. She told me not to say another word, but I had to have the last word. More than sixty years later, I still regret it. I was an unnecessary peace breaker. My brother-in-law had to step in and be a peacemaker. As a Christian, I cannot have a peace breaking attitude.

Holiness is a unique quality because it is so closely related to God. It is the Christian’s goal to be as much like God as we possibly can in this world. Holiness is a big deal because it is not easy to obtain as a lifestyle. It, like peace, requires effort. One must work at it. Emulating Jesus is a life long journey.

Task for Today: Two things to work on today. Living in holiness and peace are today’s goals. How will you approach them? Lift up your shoulders, straighten out your path, and copy Jesus. Your reward? You get to see Jesus in all His glory. “It will surely be worth it all.”