Day 68: Live in Peace

Scripture to Memorize:
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Proverbs 31: 28-29
Passage to Read:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay", say the Lord.
Romans 12:17-19
Dear Lord,
Help me to not repay evil for evil. Help me to have a spirit of forgiveness; just as you forgave me. Forgive for the times that I have held on to grudges and plotted revenge; for those times when I have lashed out with my tongue, when I sough justice when I was wronged.
Prince of Peace help me to have instead a spirit of your peace. Help me to place you at the center of my life so that I can follow the instructions you gave your followers in the Sermon on the Mountain. In particular, help me to incorporate the beatitudes as the groundwork for my attitudes. Holy Spirit strengthen my inner being so that the fruits of you will be what I display to those around me. Strenthen me to stand firm under life's hurts and injusticies. I want to do what is right, I want to live at peace with everyone. It do not want to have a spirit of revenge and unforgiveness. But in order to do this I need your grace to live out this commitment. Teach me Lord to trust in your righteousness. Let me learn to do what Jesus did: entrust myself to the one who judges justly. Even if your judgment is that they receive the same mercy that I have received. I trust in you and I trust your judgment. In Jesus name, Amen.
Personal:
In today's lesson Donna broaches the topic of divorce. She tells us that we should not "talk trash" about someone, particularly in front of our children. Whether it is your ex or your spouse's ex. If you can't find something nice to say about that person, then don't say anything at all. She warns " you dod not need to give them an earful about how right you are and how wrong the other parent is. Remember that other parent is a part of your children's lives". She further states that every time you tear that person down in your children's eyes you tear yourself down too. The Bible gives us a way to escape this temptation:
1. Don't repay evil for evil.
2. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
3. Live at peace, if possible, and as far as it depends on you.
4. Do not take revenge.
5. Leave justice in the hands of the one who judges justly.
She then states that these same five peacekeeping steps apply to our in-laws, our ex-in-laws, our next door neighbor, and our co-workers. We are to set a godly example for our children by endeavoring to live at peace with everyone, if possible. She then goes on to say, "notice it says 'if possible'. Even God knows it is not possible to get along with some people. Do the best you can and leave the rest to God."
Affirmation: As far as it depends on me, I live at peace with everyone.
Practical:
For me I have struggled over the years to follow Donna's advice. Not that I knew it as her's but rather I knew that it was God's. I have made an effort to not say anything to my daughter about her father but it has been a struggle that as she got older, got harder and harder for me. I have found though that her suggestion to release every person through prayer that I have felt I was entitled to demand justice from. I have to remember that I can not pursue justice for others and receive mercy for myself.