Thursday; October 12

As we live our lives, what is our focus?  There are times when it is tempting to just float along on the river of life, but eventually we will have to make some choices about what is important.  I would like to think that most of us would put our relationship with God at the forefront, but what comes after that?  
The other day I was reading and came across a compelling passage that reminds us, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” (Romans 14:19)  As I considered this challenge from the Apostle Paul it got me to looking at my life and wondering if the things I am doing are drawing me closer to people or driving them further away?  Is my involvement in my job, my hobbies and my spiritual life designed in such a way that I am feeling closer to the people around me or more distant from them?  Are the discussions I have with people building a bridge or a barrier?  I should not abdicate my responsibilities to be true to my faith and my beliefs for the sake of peace, but I must be careful to not sacrifice peace and comradery for the sake of my own opinion and selfishness.  I must ask myself if I am using my platforms (such as interpersonal communication and social media) to enhance the lives of others or is my goal to expose the folly of their understanding of our differences of opinions?  If I am more interest in stirring the pot that calming the waters, I may be missing Paul’s point.
Do we love people?  That’s the bottom line of the discussion and one of the first questions we will be asked in Judgment.
          Think About It!

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