Seek God in simple things, and find Him there, handing out abundant happiness and hope.
There is an old adage that says, “good fences make good neighbors.” This saying comes from a poem by Robert Frost, titled “Mending Wall” (North of Boston, 1914.) There’s some valid application for this idea. Farmers build fences in order to keep their livestock from wandering onto neighboring farms. It’s a way to respect each other’s property.
Recently, a strong wind blew down our back fence, so we’re going to rebuild a stronger, nicer looking fence, to enhance our back yard landscape. Also, since there’s a large dog with attitude in the neighborhood, the new fence will avoid testy canine visitors.
The Scripture describes different types of peace, but in Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul wrote about peace with our Christian brothers and sisters, as well as unbelievers.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18, NIV.)
Fences between properties can help to keep peace between neighbors, but I don’t think building fences works well to develop relationships, especially for Christians.
In my experience, the opposite is true in relationships, and the emotional or social walls we construct do not serve to increase understanding and friendship, and when we remove barriers and put others needs before our own, trust grows between people. This kind of trust provides the soil for the Spirit to plant the seed of the Gospel in unbelievers. How are we to live our lives among the other believers? Paul wrote about this to the Ephesian church.
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6, NIV.)
The Word tells us how we are to demonstrate love in the way we interact with other Christians, even in matters where we disagree.
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters” (Romans 14:1, NIV.)
At the time the Apostle Paul wrote this, some Jewish Christians found it difficult to abandon all the old requirements of the Law, like eating things considered unclean, while some Gentile believers were sensitive to paganism, like eating meat offered to idols.
Self-sacrificing behavior doesn’t come naturally to us, but only by the indwelling Spirit who continually works to remold our character into the likeness of Christ. As I learn to trust Him, I learn to be at peace with others. Navigating various personalities, each with their own history and understanding of scripture, can seem like a puzzle at times.
The Apostle Paul wrote about this in his letter to the church in Rome: “As for myself, I am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that there is nothing really wrong with eating meat that has been offered to idols. But if someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn’t do it because for him it is wrong” (Romans 14:14, TLB.)
Christopher J. H. Wright, in his wonderful book, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit (IVP Books, © 2017, pp. 63-64) says this about the lines we draw between us:
“Romans 14:14 assumes that there is a place for helping people to come to a more mature understanding of what being Christian means, and what it doesn’t mean. All of us need to educate our consciences through on-going study of the scriptures, prayer, and fellowship. That will help us get a better balance between where we can act with maturity and freedom, and where we need to exercise loving restraint and sensitivity. And that is never easy! We often think or say, “Where should we draw the line?” There is no easy answer to that. But let us not be so obsessed with drawing lines that we end up dividing the body of Christ and forgetting the mission we should be doing for him. The love we live by is more important than the lines we draw.”
“The love we live by is more important than the lines we draw.” I can use that for a great motto as to how I interact with others, including those not of the faith. There are differences among Christians, but I believe cultivating peace means we choose not to treat other believers with contempt or condemnation over our differences. We serve the same Lord, and His Spirit binds us into one.
Without question, Christians need to be obedient to God and His Word. Still, it seems to me, we Christians can draw lines between ourselves and unbelievers that create barriers for them to Christ. The Spirit of Christ indwells us, and works through us in wonderful ways we can’t fully understand, to plant the seed of the Gospel in others who need to know Him.
Jesus was moved to anger when He saw people were kept from access to the Father in the temple. People had to buy “clean” animals for sacrifice, and they had to buy them with “clean” temple money, both required an extra fee to the money changers and sellers.
“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13, NIV.)
Distance from God will only produces miserable people, because He is the source of all happiness and peace. As Randy Alcorn puts it, “If we weigh the value of our happiness against the needs of a suffering world, we may suppose we have no right to be unhappy. But the fact is, miserable Christians have nothing to offer a suffering world” (Happiness, Tyndale, p. 33.)
I’ve found peace can prove elusive and tough to achieve with some people, but when we rely on God to show us the way to remove fences between us and others, He can be trusted. Recently, a good friend reminded me of a verse about trusting God. Thank you, my precious friend.
“For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed’ [in his expectations]” (Romans 10:11, AMP.)
Tear down old fences. You could make some good neighbors.
Selah.