Living in the Spirit
June 8, 2017
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
Paul was not acquainted with “Yours truly” or “Sincerely.” He ended his letters with extended admonishments and blessings. General in nature, his closings are good for most of us at any time. I particularly like his phrase Put things in order. A lot of our problems today result from us blowing things out of proportion. How much time do we spend trying to soothe ruffled feathers because we may not have communicated something well? How often do we ignore a small sore point letting it fester until it becomes a major issue? Barney Fife put it well; we need to nip those things in the bud.
I concur that we need to work on finding agreement with one another, and sometimes I think it is important we learn to agree to disagree deciding to work together on things about which we do agree. We certainly need to live in peace with one another.
When we do disagree or are even angry with another, we need to practice the art of praying for them and our relationship with them. Inviting God into any relationship eventually, brings healing and wholeness even when it may result in a parting of ways. Paul’s closing prayer is a good model to follow.
Prayer: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.