As Christmas time approaches, let me share a story a friend told me. There was a mother and grandmother of 14 who annually bought Christmas presents for all her children. As she aged and found this task increasingly challenging, she decided to send checks instead, thus allowing them to choose their own gifts. About a week before Christmas, she addressed all the Christmas cards, wrote “This year, I’m going to let you buy your own gifts,” and mailed them. When she returned home from the postoffice and looked at the table, she realized she had forgotten to include the checks with the cards.
This incident is a reminder that sometimes, we need someone else in control.
Our scripture for today is Romans 12:18:
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
I’ve always found this verse remarkable. It acknowledges that there are people who do not wish to live at peace with you. When you encounter them, what should you do? God’s word instructs us to live at peace with them, if it is at all up to us. Sometimes, it’s not in our hands.
This principle isn’t just about dealing with people who are hard to get along with; it’s about how to conduct oneself in all aspects of life. In Proverbs, we are exhorted to the following:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (3:5-6)
With these words, God offers us the promise of guiding our paths. We don’t need to control everything. We have someone wiser, smarter, and more powerful to guide us.
Lonnie Davis