When I hear the term “peacemaker” the first thing I think of are the UN Blue Helmets. I have a friend whose husband Ben served in the Australian Military and was seconded to the UN to serve in Sudan a few years ago. He shared a story with me about how they had to fly quickly via helicopter to a remote area where they had received reports of military conflict breaking out with a militia group causing problems for farmers.

When they arrived, they were shot at, but the militia group quickly retreated. Ben told me they found a boy who was 10 years old hiding in a farm shed with a massive rifle. He had travelled in with the militia and been left behind. Through a translator the boy told Ben how he had been captured by the militia and then promised all sorts of good things if he joined them and followed orders. The militia had fed him and trained him and made him feel part of their group and he thought he could trust them.

While I can’t imagine myself going into a military conflict zone wearing a blue helmet, chasing militia out of remote areas and rescuing child soldiers, Jesus still calls me to be a peacemaker. The reality is, that I was once like that child soldier. I had been captured by the enemy Satan and promised all sorts of good things if I followed his orders. Its not that I was trying to be evil, but the reality is, we can all get caught up in lies that make us live life in a destructive way. Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker, and God has put all things in his dominion, but when we join in the work of Christ as peacemakers, he makes us co-heirs with him! I believe that that is what this passage is saying.

Lord, thank You that you rescued me and made me an instrument of your peace.

Written by Ps Justin Ware

“If” is the word that stands out to me.  If you remain in me….

If Jesus had said “as you remain in me” or “when you remain in me” – but He said IF.  We have a choice to remain in HIM or not.

What does remaining look like?  = My thought is FRUIT

What is God’s fruit in our lives look like? 

Galatians 5 v 22-23 lists the fruit of the Spirit (character): “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”

Do you have fruit in your life?   Do you have fruit in your actions, in your words?

If you read this today and realise that some of your personal character fruit has shrivelled:  PRAY.  Make 2022 a year of becoming fruitful in fruits of the Spirit. 

In this passage Jesus was speaking to His disciples – I also think of some other questions to ask ourselves:

IF we don’t get side tracked and invested too much into the things of this world?

IF we don’t get swept away by the accumulation of money and assets?

IF we don’t keep going … despite our troubles and position ourselves to overcome?

IF we don’t persevere…until death?

IF we don’t give up?

Ultimately, we are not to look like the world, we are to look like Christ.

Jesus, help me to look more like you.  Lord, help my impatience, help me to always look through the lens of love and kindness, help me to be faithful and generous.  Help me Lord to respond with gentleness and self-control.  Lord may I be filled with your joy and peace, so others can find YOU in me.  Lord, I want to live for You and Your Kingdom.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Written by Ps. Sue Botta

I so often speak or act unwisely. I really need God to transform me – to make me wiser. The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10a); “Wisdom is better than gold or silver” (Proverbs 16:16); “wisdom is like honey.” (Proverbs 24:14a) and just “Get wisdom”! (Proverbs 4:5).

James goes on to tell us that “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17) I can see that wisdom from God is good!

How do I get this amazing wisdom? Ask for it! This verse says that God will give me wisdom generously, without finding fault. So, if I ask him, I can expect to receive his gift of wisdom, in generous proportions, no matter how foolish I may have been in the past. But there’s a second step. And a third. I need to believe that God is going to give it to me, and I need to act on that wisdom. If I just ask for wisdom but then ignore what God gives me, I have gained nothing and I have given nothing.

Lord, I do ask that you will transform me and give me wisdom. Help me, Lord, to trust you and believe that you will make me wiser. Then help me to act – to not ignore what you have given and what you have told me to do.

Written by Megan Cornell

What are the patterns of the world? What sort of thoughts should we stop conforming to? Sometimes in order to change to something, we need to realise what we need to change from. 

Off the top of my head, some of the patterns and ways of our world include putting yourself first, making sure your opinion is known, accruing wealth, having power & influence, only showing the best parts of your life, seeking pleasure, accomplishing more, being self-made, being busy, displaying success, getting ahead…. I don’t know about you, but just reading this makes me feel exhausted! No wonder so many of us feel anxious, behind and insufficient, no matter how hard we keep striving to jump through these never-ending hoops. 

One thing God has been speaking to me about is pursuing more of His grace instead of pursuing more of anything else. If I truly believe that God’s grace is enough, if He is sufficient, then I should be able to let go of all of the other “I shoulds” constantly running around my head. To be honest, it’s something I need to be reminded of regularly. It is only by God’s grace that we can let go of the continual striving and rest in His peace. 

What are the thoughts that make you feel like you need to conform to what the world is telling you, instead of what God is telling you? This is a question I continue to ponder as I ask God to reveal his ways to me!

God, there are so many ways that the patterns of this world can seep into our everyday lives, changing how we think, speak and act. Thank you that you have provided your grace for us, so that we can surrender all the ‘shoulds’ as we listen to you and follow your leading. Help us to seek you above all else. Amen. 

Written by Madelaine Tarasenko

I recently read what I thought was some good advice about anxiety from Dr. Caroline Leaf. She says “Stop trying to run away from anxiety because it’s futile. Rather, spend that energy learning to listen to what that anxiety is trying to alert you to and deal with that issue so you can find freedom and not make your mind a prison”

The verses that we are focusing on today instruct us not be anxious. There is a difference between having anxious thoughts and being anxious. As indicated in the above quote from Dr. Leaf, it’s impossible to stop anxious thoughts from coming into our heads. But “being” anxious, or living in a state of anxiety, is something that we are warned against in these verses and is also widely agreed upon as an unhealthy way to live.

So how do you listen to anxious thoughts and “deal with the issue and find freedom”, as Dr. Leaf suggests? The answer is found here in these bible verses, but of course, it’s sometimes easier said than done. There are certainly times when I’ve found myself rehashing my anxious thoughts under the guise of prayer. 

But I’ve also found that when I truly bring my burdened heart to God in prayer and then remind myself of His uncanny ability to work things out time and time again, there is that peace that descends to guard my troubled heart. 

How grateful I am to know that there is someone, our Father God, who is so big and so powerful looking after everything on our behalf, both great and small.   “Be still and know that He is God” 

He is God and I am not, so today, once again I leave my burdens in His supremely capable hands. 

Written by Shelley Witt