If there is one thing that this world needs in this world today, it is peace. Too often, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the stress of what is going on in the world that we are missing out on the peace of God. When we get stressed, our minds are focused elsewhere and we are in the state of fight vs flight. In other words, people would either fight the situation or avoid the situation. Let me put it in another way: in majority or all of the IKEA stores, there are shortcuts or a faster ways to see the inventory. People would go through those shortcuts to bypass some of the busier areas of the store. How often do we do that in life? Do we take shortcuts?
As mentioned earlier, we definitely need to have peace take over our lives. In today’s passage from Ephesians 2:11-22. The apostle Paul is talking about the idea of oneness and peace of Christ. In verses 13-14, it says “13. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. 14. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.” It is because of Jesus that we have the peace. It is because of Jesus that we have been made united with Him. One of the many things that this world today is focused on is hostility. In other words, they want to bring division and chaos. In verse 14, Paul says that when Jesus died on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility. Other translations would say that Christ broke the “dividing wall” (NASB Translation). We need to remind ourselves that Jesus is going to break the wall of labelism and grouping. He brings people together, Jews and Gentile, regardless of what differences we may have. We have all been made one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank You for all you do. Thank You for continuing to show us Your love and grace to us. Help us to not take shortcuts in life. When we feel like we are in a jam or don’t know what to do, help us to fix our eyes on You. You know what is best for us and show us what You have for us rather than following our own plans. For we know that this battle is not ours, but Yours (2 Chronicles 20:15). Help us and strengthen us so that not only we can make it through the day but also through our everyday lives.
In Jesus name, Amen