Euodia and Syntyche - Pt 6

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9 ESV). The Apostle Paul now comes to the fifth step in resolving conflict appropriately. He encourages us to guard our heart and mind with the peace of God, even when it does not make sense to do so (v. 7).

I have often turned to Charles Schultz and the Peanuts cast of characters for an illustration. Lucy is the classic “know-it-all.” The cartoon I’ve included with today’s devotional is simply one of many drawn to illustrate a common theme among all of us. We believe that our perspective always makes sense; our antagonist’s perspective doesn’t. We often speak of a conflict in a way that markets our interpretation. However, we ought to rethink that behavior and position. We ought to wonder what might happen if we framed the conflict in a way our rival would agree with; that is, in a manner the other person agrees is a fair summary of key issues. Every bone in my body abhors the injustice of it, but the peace of God surpasses all understanding and demands such respect for the brethren. I’ve tried my best to never debate a position I hold until I am so well-versed in the opposing position that I could argue for it as well as my own. If I can understand that which I am opposed to that well, I will have a much better understanding of why someone else might feel so different than I do about an issue. There’s nothing easy about that practice. It takes discipline and the willingness to let go of my competitive spirit. Truthfully there is no room for the peace of God and completion within my heart. Eradicating my need to be “right” in favor of experiencing God’s peace is the answer. The next time you feel the need to assert your superiority over someone else, remember the source of your righteousness. You didn’t deserve or earn it. You were given it by the grace of God.