War and peace

No, I have never ventured into politics with my blog. And no, I'm not really venturing now....just processing.

As a Christian, I am to live like Jesus Christ, right?

Andy and I have been on quite a journey of what it truly means to live out the Gospel. How do we live like we actually believe the words of Jesus?

War is such a hot topic and honestly it is not one I relish in talking about. There are many times when I would like to just blend in with the crowd rather than have crazy thoughts about peacemaking and turning the other cheek.

But as Andy and I continue to walk the path with Jesus, it is becoming quite clear to us that there are very few American Christians out there who have really taken some time to process this with the Word of Life. If you think I'm joking or being dramatic, just start talking to someone about it.

And it is a big deal. Did Jesus come to give us a sword or did He come to bring the sword? And what kind of sword was He talking about anyways?

So, to process this, I have brought it down to a more personal level. What am I going to teach my children? Am I going to teach them to fight with their fists if the going gets tough? Or am I going to teach them to turn the other cheek?

What I want to teach them is to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with their God. (Micah 6:8) And when Jesus was walking around with his disciples, He was pretty specific on how to do this. Matthew 5, His sermon on the Mount was plainly laid out. I would highly recommend another read through of this passage with some Holy Spirit glasses on, it is quite a trip.

He does not speak of being offensive or defensive, He talks about the Kingdom of God/Heaven. And His actions speak loudly of knowing the Truth and standing firm in it, even when you are being beaten to death and forced to carry your own cross up the hill. He did not fight with those who accused Him, he didn't even defend himself.

So, I am coming to the belief that Jesus asks us to be peacemakers, not cowardly peacekeepers, but peacemakers. Two totally different things. And to keep this going, I don't believe we make peace through war. I don't tell my kids to go hit each other or say hurtful things to make things right. That just doesn't make sense, does it? To hit back is natural, but God calls us to something higher than that. We are called to live by the Spirit.

"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves." Galatians 5:16

Yes, I do believe there will be war and I believe Jesus is going to be at the front lines with his army. But I have a sneaky suspicion it will look way different than our human wars. He will be in charge and all I will have to do is keep following Him.

More processing to come, I'm sure.