The Peacemaker Challenge: 6 Paths To Sharing Peace
So last week we shared in some challenges over kindness. I noticed that overall I smiled more, had more patience, and found moments where I could compliment and show appreciation to others more. Isn’t it crazy how much we can change our mindsets when we are intentional about the things we are working on? That is the whole point for setting these challenges with you, and working on them together. We are sharing in the efforts of making our minds and lives more intentional for Christ. Sometimes we can let the busyness of our lives, take our “good intentions” as Christians, and put them on the back burner from the other things in our lives. We need to have those constant little reminders in our lives to help us shift our mindset back on the main point - God! When God is our main points, we start trying to work on obtaining the characteristics that God wants us to work towards. When we are letting the stress and busyness of life be the main thing in our lives, we tend to give into the stress. That stress will not only affect us, but will rub off on others. That is why for this week our challenge is “The Peacemaker Challenge.” We will be looking a Six paths of how we can share more Peace in the world this week.
For any of you that want to take this weeks challenge with me, then I want to be able to keep up with you as we work towards this together. I will be posting a few reminders a week on our family ministry Facebook page (listed below). Also please share this challenge with other ladies, so we can have more intentional peace in the world together for Christ!
Go like our Facebook Ministry page: HERE! This is so you can follow along during the week because I will be posting reminders of our challenges, and I want to hear from you! I want to celebrate the big and small victories with you!
Share this article, and future ones on Facebook, so we can get as many other ladies joining us on this challenge! Let’s help cultivate our growth with Christ outside of the Church building together!!
Bible Verse: Romans 12:18 - “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
Turn Your Complaints Into Gratitude
What is the difference between a happy person, and a grumpy person? Their mindset and language! Isn’t that the same with being a peacemaker? We have to make an effort to turn our mindset into one that is positive. We need to work towards stopping those negative complaints of others that are already in our brain. Those can become deep seeded into our hearts, and that is a dangerous place to be. But doesn't our words also reflect what is in our hearts? By working on our mindset, our hearts will also be affected. And that is the whole point! Having our hearts be one that is showing peace! God gave us the most when he gave us peace, so we need to do the same to others. So when we intentionally give others peace, we are reflecting what God has done for us ONTO others. We are sharing God with others through our peace!! So this week, try to control your tongue and thoughts about others, and turn your complaints into thoughts of gratitude!
Be Curiously Compassionate
When we start working on our mindsets, then compassion is quick to follow. Sometimes we find people in our lives, that are harder to love than others, and those are the people I want you to have in mind with this challenge. We need to work on changing our mindset to be what I call “curiously compassionate.” This is the idea of having an open mind with others, even with those who are harder to love. In this challenge we will choose to work on not assuming things of others, but being curious to learn about why they think in a certain way or why they are acting in a certain way. I have learned that the more you talk with someone, the more common ground you can find. We need to put aside assumptions, judgements, blame, and instead choose active listening and compassion, then we will find less complaints and MORE peace! So this week, be more curious about others. Think about why they act in a certain way instead of just assuming! Be curious about people!
Reverse Your Blame
In a world where we often are quick to point a finger at someone else, let’s pause before we do that. How often do we quickly judge someones actions before thinking about our OWN motives and actions. This step just goes a step further than the first two steps. Now that we are thinking more about others, we need to also think LESS about self. We need to realize that Christ put us first when He died on the cross, so we now need to put others first since Christ showed that example to us. So this week before we quickly blame someone else for something, we need to ask ourselves what we have done. When we realize how we have things that we have done that haven’t been good decisions, then we are less quick to blame others. So this week our challenge is to reflect on ourselves instead of quickly pointing the blame on others.
Go On A Gossip Detox
How does it feel when you find out that someone has said something bad about you, or talked about you in a bad light? It is never a good feeling, is it? When we as women get together, sometimes the comparison game starts being played. This comparison game is where the gossip will start. Why are we quick to tear those that are hard to love in our lives down, when we know how it feels when someone tears US down? It all comes down to a heart issue. That heart issue leads to gossiping. Gossiping about others is never a good thing. So to add more peace into the world this week, our challenge is to go on a gossip detox. This week challenge yourself to not say a single negative thing about a fellow Christian. Don’t talk about their personal lives or their actions, unless you are complimenting or praising them. Wouldn’t that help us see others in a better light, if we never let those negative heart issues start? So this week bring more peace by no gossiping about others.
Calm The Tense Situations
Have you ever found yourself near or involved in a tense situation. Maybe it was two Church member who have found themselves in a disagreement. Now think the change that the situation would have had if there was a level headed person who was only trying to calm a tense situation rather than taking sides, would that have lead to more peace? We as believers of Christ are told to be peacemakers and to live peaceably. So would being part of a tense situation with a fellow Christian be taking part in a peaceful lifestyle? No! That is the opposite! Arguments are what the devil is wanting us to take part in. The devil wants the tense and anger filled moments to overflow within the Church. So this week if you find yourself near or part of a tense situation, choose to bring peace in the situation. Choose peace over SELF. Because when we don’t choose peace, then we are choosing something different, and that different thing is self. So choose God this week by choosing peace!
Seek The Common Ground
What is the quickest way to find peace? By having common ground with someone. Even with the hardest people in the world to love, you can challenge yourself to find at least one thing in common with them. By doing that, you can now start to focus on the positives, like, the common ground, that you have with them. When we find things of interest, then we will start to see even more things in common. That is the main goal within the Church as a whole - common ground. Because common ground will lead to love and unity. So taking the first step by finding common ground with every Church member will lead to the betterment of the Church health as a whole. Your choice of peace today, can lead to the Church growing and thriving. So this week, seek to find common ground with all of the members in your Church. Find common ground with the ones you don’t talk to much but also with the ones you don’t currently share any common ground with. Be the one to start the Peacemaker movement within your congregation, it’s very contagious! Others will join you!
About the Author: My name is Katie, and I’m a Church of Christ Preacher’s wife in Kentucky. I am also a proud homeschool mom to two brilliant boys. I love to craft, and make and bind my own notebooks. I also make a weekly podcast show called “Just Bible No Fluff",” where I skip all of fluffy extras and hop right into a short yet impactful exegetical study of the scripture. My mission and vision in life is this: “To empower women Spiritually by enhancing their skills in deep Bible study, equipping them to effectively teach the Gospel to others, and guiding them in cultivating Spiritual growth beyond the Church building.”