Dona Nobis Pacem
Ephesians 4:1-3 So, as a prisoner for the Lord, I beg you to live the way God's people should live, because he chose you to be his. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love. You are joined together with peace through the Spirit. Do all you can to continue as you are, letting peace hold you together.
Right now, today, according to Wikipedia, there are fifty-eight wars, or, as the definition goes, “armed conflicts”, being fought on the earth. It’s a staggering number, but over time, it’s fairly consistently been at around that level. Fifty-eight! The extent of suffering through war, through the absence of peace today, is beyond belief.
Yes, we all remember WWII, the terrible holocaust, the millions who were killed, as we should. But listen, it hasn’t gone away. It’s still going on today, even though many of us live in safe, comfortable, relatively-speaking, peaceful places.
Peace on earth. That would be amazing wouldn’t it? Imagine if all of humanity was able to live in peace. No more wars. No more innocent people dying. No more bloodshed. No more children suffering. No more conflict. Just … peace. Just imagine.
Maybe you think it’s impossible and perhaps it is. But here’s what I do know.
Peace begins at home. Peace begins in my heart; in your heart. You and I can cause peace to break out in our little corner of the world, by laying down our arms, by refusing to fight, by deciding … I don’t need to win.
So, as a prisoner for the Lord, I beg you to live the way God’s people should live, because he chose you to be his. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love. You are joined together with peace through the Spirit. Do all you can to continue as you are, letting peace hold you together. (Ephesians 4:1-3)
I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about this, but God is in the peace business. He called an end to the hostilities between us and Him while we were still fighting. He put an end to the war, on that bloody Cross of Christ. Our peace cost Him everything.
And that sort of peace begins with us. But don’t expect it to come cheap. Because that sort of peace … will cost you everything. So …
Be humble, be gentle, be patient, accept each other with love. Do all that you can, to be joined together in peace.
Lord, grant us the courage to be peacemakers. Grant us the grace to pay the price of peace in our little corner of the world.
Dona nobis pacem. Lord, grant us peace.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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