Is This The Beginning Or Are We At The Fork In The Road

How hard is it to turn the other cheek? There are days, even weeks or months, when turning the other cheek gets harder and harder to do. At times, I feel a kick in the pants would be a pleasant change of pace. Watch television and you can see how draining the onslaught of negativity affects people. Stats Canada reports that “Twenty-seven percent of Canadian workers claim to have high to extreme levels of stress on a daily basis.” (www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/contest/finalists-finalistes_2-eng.htm). I would suggest that this is even higher if you are a politician at election time. There are so many cases where the negative aspects of a person’s decisions or ideas have been the focus of conversation. This will take most people to the point of depression or even complete surrender to the darkness. I have heard it said that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all (Thumper) yet this is becoming a fleeting ideology.

Here is where we find the crossroad of life. Will we continue to follow the world in the ways of the negative thought, hurting and destroying with our words and actions, or will we become the agents of peace? By taking the path of peace, we set ourselves up to be the target of those who enjoy the chaos but we can find strength and wisdom in the Word and make a difference.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Eph 4:29-31 NIV

Jesus came to this world not to condemn but to save. We are called to be followers of His ways. Do not be like those who blare the trumpets screaming “look at me, I am right and that person is so wrong – let us join forces and destroy them” but rather let us be the catalyst of change. Let us seek out the goodness in our brothers and sisters, let us rejoice in them and lift them up. Take time each and every day to encourage and praise someone. Can we be the one who helps a friend see their true worth, help them to realize that they are beautiful in God’s eyes and in the eyes of their neighbour? It is the beginning of a new dawn, time to make a new start in not only our own lives but also in the life of someone else. It is time to take the path that seems less traveled and make a difference.

This Sunday, we continue with the series on joy and peace in the Master. Join us if you can at 10:30 MST on Sunday or you can watch us live online on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd