Instrument of Peace

Instrument of Peace
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17.
Question is what the apostle Paul saying true about you?
Does the peace of Christ rule in your heart?
When you do things both in word and deed, do you do it in the name of Christ?
As Christians we do need to live our lives differently. People should know we are believers in Christ Jesus by our life and life style without us saying a word.
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

                                                                    Francis of Assisi

Can you truly say and mean what Francis of Assisi wrote?
Please think about it.

Love

Love

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where these is hatred, let me sow love.” 
                                                                                                                       Francis of Assisi
Here is a simple truth that all people everywhere can understand. Love.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
Now abides faith hope and love but the greatest of these is love.”
                                                                   1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
Love is a universal truth. Love is giving of ones self unconditionally with no expectation of return.
A young Anne Frank a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazi’s in the Netherlands during world war two wrote these words,
“Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!”                                               Anne Frank
Anne sadly would die in a Nazi concentration camp.
Today we can look around the world and see various terrorist organizations murdering and killing innocent men women and children. They are doing it they say in the name of God.
No god would ever do such things. The men that are doing such atrocities today around the world are no different than the Nazis and perhaps worse.
While terrorist take the lack of love beyond the point of hatred there also seems to be a lack of love entering western society.
Men and women here don’t use violence, still their lack of love is shown when they picket in front of abortion clinics yelling to the people entering they are going to hell.
When people demand the ten commandments or other religious works be taken from view in government institutions. That is showing a lack of understanding and love.
When they protest against restricting the rights of any group. That is a lack of love.
In order to have a truly free society we need to love. Love by its definition shows man how to live with his fellow man.

“Love is patient, 

love is kind. 

It does not envy,

 it does not boast,

 it is not proud.  

It is not rude, 

it is not self-seeking,

 it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, 

always trusts, 

always hopes, 

always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

Now abides faith hope and love but the greatest of these is love.”

                                                                   1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
Please think about it.

service

Service

Sometime ago I came across this little story called the Rose Talked Back by Ben Zion Bokser.
The Rose Talked Back
The man sweeping the synagogue paused for a moment.  He looked at the flowers lying about in disorder, ‘What waste!’  He said too himself.  Those roses had adorned the pulpit at a wedding aan hour before.  Now all was over and they were waiting to be discarded.
The attendant leaning on his sweeper was lost in thought when suddenly he heard a strange sound.  One of the roses replied to him.
‘Do you call this a waste?” the flower protested, ‘What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of service?  My mission was to create some fragrance and beauty, and when I have fulfilled it my life has not been wasted.  And what greater privilege is there than to adorn a bride’s way to her beloved, what greater privilege than to help glorify the moment when aa bride and groom seal their faith in each other by entering the covenant of marriage?’
Our little flower paused for a moment too watch the man’s face, and then continued her discourse.
‘Roses are like people.  They live in deeds, not in time.  My glory was but for a brief hour, but you should have seen the joy in the bride’s eye.  I like to believe that I had something to do with it, by creating a suitable setting for the moment of her supreme happiness.  So don’t grieve for me.  My life has been worthwhile.
Having spoken her little piece, the rose was once more silent.  The attendant, startled from his reverie and a little wiser, pushed the sweeper again and continued with his work.
                                                                                                                       Ben Zion Bokser
Over the years I’ve met many men and women from all walks and strata of life. I have watched how rich and poor alike at the end of their life don’t think about the wealth they’ve acquired or the things they’ve accumulated. They, somehow, when one is on their death bed amount to nothing.
I like what the rose in Bokser’s story says,
“‘What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of service?”
It is when we realize that our lives are a means of service that life has meaning. We do live in our deeds.
Service is a way to show love. In serving you are giving of yourself to others.
Anne Frank a young Dutch girl hiding from the Nazi’s in occupied Holland wrote this in her diary,
“Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!                                                                                                                                                         Anne Frank
Francis of Assisi wrote a truth that both Christian and none Christian can believe he said,
“O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek to be consoled, as to console. To be understood, as to understand. To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 
                                                                                             Francis of Assisi
Serving people with one’s whole heart is a means of showing love.
The Apostle Paul wrote of love,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  
                                                                                                         1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
Will you be remembered for your service and Love?
Think about it.