Want Peace in Your Relationships? - August 5th, 2011

When a man’s ways please the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Proverbs 16:7

History and Context:

King Solomon, son of King David, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote a set of proverbs in order to share his wisdom. Many of his proverbs have become common sayings in today's society and people don't even realize that they are from the Bible. Proverbs are one line nuggets of wisdom, therefore there is not really any context to consider as this line stands by itself.

The Text:

The statement is self explanatory. If we live the way God wants us to live than we will even have peace with our enemies. There are some enemies who are against us because they are against God and these enemies will not always be at peace with us, but the general principle stated here has been proven throughout the Bible and also in more recent times. Joseph proved this when he was sold into slavery, and then thrown in jail. Both times he won favor with his 'masters' and was given charge over the entire area. Eventually he won favor with pharaoh himself. This was all because his ways pleased the Lord. Paul had a similar story in which he and Silas were thrown in prison and they won favor with the guards. There is another man whom I have met named Dan Bauman and he explains in his book, Imprisoned in Iran, how he had a similar experience in which he came to peace with his captors. So it is true, if we make our ways to please God, then God will use us to bring our relationships to peace.

The Challenge:

If you are having difficulty in your relationships, seek God's plan for your life. Above I shared extreme examples, all involving prison, but this can be true in our everyday life. Jesus told us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. If we follow the way that the Lord has set out for us, then many of our enemies will find peace with us. In some cases they will even become friends. But this principle is not only true for our enemies. In the text there is the word 'even' meaning it is also true for our family and friends. If you are struggling with a father, mother, child, sister, brother, spouse, etc. then seek God's ways. If you have a good friends and you had a huge fight, then seek God's ways. Whatever the relationship, it can be brought to peace simply by seeking God's ways.

The Prayer:

Lord, I want to seek your way and your plan in my relationships. Bring peace into my relationships today. Help me to know and follow your ways. In Jesus' name, Amen!